Loki: Icarus Burning
by KatKing1979
Summary: The Four Horsemen Initiative have sat behind the scenes for years, profiting on human suffering and keeping their organization secret. Following six months after the events of Shattered Icons, the terrorist organization is a loose end that needs taken care of. Now they are back, and they intend to make themselves known in very dramatic fashion.
1. Prolouge

This story line takes place six months after the events of Shattered Icons. It is a direct sequel to the previous novel but works as a stand alone story.

The description of all firearms and technologies are completely accurate with some creative liberties taken with them of course.

PTSD is the underlying theme of this novel, and I wanted to bring to light the struggles thousands of persons suffering with the disorder have every day, I and many of my friends have it and I think that the story line in the film Winter Soldier does an amazing job of acknowledging Combat Stress.

Sergeant Knott is an actual person, he is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met and he built my computer to help me keep writing, his cameo in this is my Thank you to him.

All Military Hardware descriptions and firearms used and described in this book are accurate. Reaper Drones and Predator Drones are completely different creatures form one another, please don't try to correct me on this.

Global Terrorism exists, but I have grown tired of the terrorists being always from the Middle East or some unknown place in the world, we have forgotten to realize that many terrorists are actually home grown and can be out neighbors and people who work with us. I have made it a conscious effort to create rich villains that are not only believable, but not from our stereotypical pot that we draw from when we think of our stalking bad guys.

I wrote this entire novel while listening to Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails, I think Loki would approve.

This book is dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces.

Your sacrifice in the pursuit of peace is not forgotten.

Prologue:

Between the desire

And the spasm

Between the potency

And the existence

Between the essence

And the descent

Falls the Shadow

For thine is the Kingdom

-The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot

Sergeant Knott stared across the Afghani desert as the sun dipped below the horizon and out of sight. Darkness and shadows crossed the barren landscape as the night dropped across the sky like a sheet of velvet, the darkness nearly total except for the weak lights of the Stryker behind him. His fingers tightened around the receiver of his rifle and he nervously flinched as he heard a howling from some animal in the distance. He used the scope of his rifle to scan the area for the source of the noise and found nothing within range. His instincts on alert for anything that could be a threat to him or the other men and women behind him that could be risked if he failed during his shift on watch, he would not let them down. The howl crossed the desert again and everything in his primitive brain told him that the source of the sound was unnatural and dangerous, he continued to track his scope across the horizon as the howl came back across the distance again. This time it raised the hairs on his arms and made him wonder if he was loosing his grip on reality.

Nothing was right about that sound at all, it made the hairs stand on the back of his neck stand up and created horrible images in his head as he searched for the source. It sounded almost human, but more feral in a way. He listened, straining his ears over the howling wind and heard nothing more from the distance. He lowered his rifle and leaned back against the Stryker, allowing his body to relax a bit as he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The shit he was forced into tour after tour was getting to him, he figured that he was starting to see the last of his deployments though. Stress from constant battle and bureaucratic bullshit from his commanders was getting to him, it was only a matter of time before he was retired permanently, either by enemy fire or age. You could only do this so many times before fractures appeared on the surface, cracks to match the ones in his head.

Three more week, and he would be going home. Or whatever passed for home anymore, his wife couldn't stand him and he didn't want kids. Nothing held them together, so he figured he would go back to his parents and file the documents to free his wife from him. Give her a chance to live before she got too old to find herself someone to take care of her, he regretted not being there for her through the roughest parts of this whole nightmare. Constantly being gone when she was sick or tired, her body exhausted from the stress of worry that she would get a flag delivered to her by an officer.

He removed his helmet and ran a hand over his regulation black hair and fiddled with the chinstrap as another howl came from the desert but this time closer, causing him to jump and drop his smoke. Cold sweat dripped from his hairline and down his face as he lifted the rifle again, searching for the source of the sound that caused him so much terror. Squinting into the darkness and seeing nothing as she shivered with the fear induced adrenaline that coursed through his body.

A hand fell onto his shoulder and he nearly pissed himself, he looked over and glared at the L.T. Strangely relieved it was him and no one else, Knott let out a long breath and relaxed as the smirking Commanding Officer moved his hand and looked out at the darkened land as another howl emitted from whatever it was out there. The Blonde haired, green eyed man as a stark contrast to Knott, and he fought back to urge to laugh at Lieutenant William's sunburn. The guy was so pale, he was almost a ghost.

"With all due respect, I almost shit my pants there sir." Sergeant Knott said and hid his annoyance at the man who was now looking into the distance in concern with him.

"You looked like you could use a break, you were getting jumpy because of a few wild dogs there Knott." Lieutenant Williams said and looked down at the shaky Sergeant's feet. "You dropped your cig."

Knott crouched down and picked up the still smoldering butt, tapping off the ash and taking a long pull from the butt to calm himself. His rattled nerves calmed a bit thanks to the nicotine and he took another pull, giving him a second chance to relax at he looked at the L.T and blew out the smoke.

"Those howls were weird Sir. They don't sound like wild dogs to me, they are almost human. Maybe a kid from a tribe of goat humpers fucking with us." Knott said as another howl traveled toward the on the wind. Even Williams jerked to attention at the sound, both men peered into the darkness and saw nothing in their field of view. Williams tapped Knott's shoulder suddenly, grabbing the Sergeant's attention as another howl pierced the darkness and made both men shiver. He cocked a thumb over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the black horizon and squinted into it himself.

"Get a pair of Night Visions from that case in the rig, maybe we can see the fucker playing with us and turn the tables on them." Williams said and Knott moved to retrieve a pair of the goggles. Part of him was just happy to be inside the transport, away from the sounds and the darkness that hid awful things. The primitive side of his brain telling him to find a place to hide and wait for light, to wait for the comfort of bright day.

He climbed up into the Armored Vehicle and edged around the sleeping Private on the floor, he debated waking the man up but decided to let the exhausted man alone. He was new to this shit, fresh from boot before getting shipped over and had yet to learn how to sleep with one eye open. No one with any experience slept that heavy on deployment, the slightest sound would wake them up and they would be ready in an instant to engage the enemy. This kid would learn eventually, and adapt to the life of a Combat Veteran.

He opened a case and dug through the contents, not finding what he was looking for and blowing out his cheeks as he thought about where the NVGs could be. He was not in a hurry also to leave the perceived safety of the Stryker, and opened another case to look in it and did not see them. He dug through another compartment before letting out a frustrated breath and scratched the back of his neck before flicking the butt out the door and thinking of where the goggles could be letting out another breath as he tapped his rifle in thought.

Knott glanced around the armored carrier again in case he missed anything and walked to the door, he poked his head out and groaned in his frustration. Maybe the Lieutenant would know where the damn things were, maybe he could delay this getting out of the safety of the vehicle for a few more moments.

"I can't find them Sir, do you know..." Knott started and cut himself off, shock lacing his brain as he processed the scene in front of his face. The L.T. was where he left him standing, only he was missing his head. Two pale, leather-skinned creatures held the body upright as they fed off it, drinking from the ragged flesh that once supported a head. Their clawed hands were sunk into his body, supporting the once man as their chins and necks glistened with blood. One opened its eyes and howled at the sky, searching the area for more victims with ice blue eyes. It sniffed the air and licked its lips in a horrible spectacle that needled into his memory and refused to leave, his primitive brain snapped into control and everything from that point on became instinct alone.

He stepped back into the Armored Stryker and secured the hatch, his knees giving up as he removed his helmet and clapped his hands over his ears in desperation to drown out the sound. Outside, the howls joined with screams of dying soldiers to become a dissonance of sound as it filled the night with pain. The sleeping Private stirred and sat up, confused and afraid as the sound of death filled and echoed off the walls of the vehicle. The Private shivered and covered his own ears, the two men staring at the hatch, waiting for the angel of death to open it and take them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning came and the screams and howls ended, both men cautiously exited the vehicle on shaky legs. They both gaped in awe at the scene the blood soaked sand around them the only other witness to the carnage that had taken place the night before. Knott edged around a limbless and headless corpse as the Private looked at the strewn remains in horror, the young man stepping over a leg that could have belonged to anyone.

"What happened sir?" The Private asked, staring in wild eyed shock as the kid nudged a hand, severed from it's owner close to a body with the toe of his boot. Knott felt the urge to vomit and fought it back, he needed to keep it together for the Private and the kid needed leadership that did not fall apart. Leadership that made them both feel safe, and it was on his shoulders to keep this kid alive.

"I don't know. Can you just look around for a working radio and shut the fuck up?" Knott ordered the man as he scanned the brightening horizon. What ever those creatures were, they vanished as the sun rose. Combined with the lack of blood, and there was some in the sand but not enough to comprise the fifteen men and women that were once alive, he could only think of one word.

Vampire.

"Three fucking weeks." Sergeant Knott said to himself as the Private emerged from the transport, carrying a radio receiver and making calls on several channels. He intended to keep the kid alive, he was the only witness beside himself that could vouch for what happened out here. The only witness that could tell him that he was not crazy and everything that had happened was real.

"Make sure you are staying aware of your surroundings Private, I need to know if they come back."

"Yes Sir." The Private replied and continued calling for help, eventually receiving a response. Knott closed his eyes, thankful to hear another voice confirming the he and the kid were not alone in the Afghani Desert. Someone out there was alive, and they would come.

A Camel Spider ran across the desert and he fought back the urge to shoot it for the crime of just being another monster in his range of view. Instead he saved the ammo in case he needed it later. In case the creatures returned to finish off the job with him, he looked down at himself and shook. The tears that were coming, stowed away for later.

Mission first, feelings later.

His mission was to keep the Private alive, and to get the both of them back to civilization in one piece. His mission became the kid behind him that was reading off coordinates into the radio and the voice on the other end reading and verifying information back to him. The voice of salvation.

"Yes Sir. That is correct, we were ambushed last night. No other survivors other than myself and Sergeant Knott Sir." The kid said and kept turning around, checking for dangers in the barren wasteland around them, he crouched down and picked up a rifle from one of the dead men and held it to his skinny chest.

"Three weeks." Knott said and began arranging parts with their respective owners.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

"Ms. Hawthorne?" The pleasant faced man said and offered me his hand, his button up shit and nice blue jeans said that he was more casual than most psychologists I had ever met but his close cropped black hair with the very neat fade line screamed Military. I looked up from my magazine and took his his long fingered hand in mine as Loki watched from his seat, the chairs in the waiting room were really uncomfortable, and I was grateful to stand up.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sam Wilson." He said and offered Loki his hand, the two men shook and I smiled at Loki for the effort to be civil. Sam's hand looked so dark against Loki's pale one and the difference was somewhat staggering as the two of them shared pleasantries, the distrust between the two was evident though and I did my best to not notice. I folded my hands and waited while the unspoken hostilities came to an end and let out a nervous breath, smiling all the same though.

"Thank you for seeing me. Steve said you could help me with my situation." I said and nervously straightened my long sleeved blue dress as he motioned for me to follow him. I smiled back a Loki, as he glanced up at us and he gave me a nod as I glanced back to him. I handed Sam the paperwork the reception person had me fill out, and the man behind the desk watched the interaction with a bit of interest. Loki reached up and squeezed my hand gently and I smiled back at him again, he understood why I was here. The desperation for help I had that sent me this far and to this man to get it, I couldn't pretend anymore that everything was hunky dory in my world. I explained it to him how Sam could help me, and Loki supported me through it. He let go of his hand and casually unbuttoned his single breasted suit jacket and sat back in the plastic chairs, trying to find a comfortable position as he set the National Geographic he was reading in his lap.

"The couch in the hall is more comfortable than the chairs. Just a suggestion." Sam said to Loki and received a silent nod.

"Than you for your concern, I shall wait here. It is best that I stay close in case she has an episode." Loki replied and Sam tapped the papers in his hand as he led me to his office, his face a bit suspicious as he glanced over at me..

"See you soon." I said to Loki and I walked into Sam's office and he closed the door behind him. He offered me a chair that was more comfortable than the one I sat in the waiting area and smoothed the hem of my skirt over my knees as I looked around the cluttered office. There were a couple windows to my right and I looked out them over the open field next to the Veteran's Hospital, some soldiers jogged by in there crisp camouflage pattern uniforms. He cleared his throat and I wanted to open the window a bit to let fresh air into the room, I patted my hands on my knees as I looked back at him. His hands folded on top of his scarred desk that was definitely Military Issue.

"Steve has probably told you already, I am not an actual doctor but I am a certified councilor and a friendly ear. I am in school to get my PHD so I can be certified at a Psychologist, and I lead a support group for Combat Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If your case is sever enough, I can refer you to someone who can help you more than I can. I wouldn't take on a Civilian Intake normally, but Steve is a good friend and he explained your situation and SHIELD is footing the bill." Sam said and smiled as me in a pleasant way. I looked at him and folded my hands in my lap as he watched me, I was fighting my nervous tic and he pushed a box of tissues toward me suddenly. I jumped and nodded at him, trying to figure out what I should say or do.

"I do appreciate you seeing me, and making the exception. I guess you could say that I am a bit of a complicated case. I am kind of funny that way." I said and scratched the eight pointed birthmark under my left ear, he was patient and I could feel that radiating off of him as I tugged at a bit of my long black hair. I wrapped the bit I found around my finger and thought it would look awkward so I folded and refolded my hands in my lap, my brain was working and I wanted to jump out of the window next to me.

"Funny 'Ha-ha' or funny 'strange'." Sam asked me and I let out a soft laugh at his question, I nodded and licked my lips and smiled.

"Funny as in strange, bizarre, completely screwed up." I said and shifted my feet as I held my knees together and did my best to not look like a total nut bar, my head was a mess after years of childhood abuse. What I experienced six months ago, completely broke me.

"There is nothing to be nervous about, this is a completely safe space for you to just talk. We can start simple if you want, tell me what you do for fun in Asgard. Do you have any activities you and tall, dark, and moody out there in the waiting area like to do?" Sam said and I laughed a bit, still feeling nervous but a bit more at ease with him.

"I go horseback riding with Loki, read books, I have a friend that is teaching me how to swing a sword, Thor likes to show me maps of the universe, and I have been trying to learn embroidery. I am horrible at the last one." I said and he laughed, shaking his head as I finished. "This is really starting to feel like an awkward blind date right now."

"No, I am just trying to get you to feel comfortable. I already know what you went through on your last trip home, and I want you to understand that there is no shame in admitting that those experiences left something behind. Society, for a long time put the stigma on mental health patients. There is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting that things are not O.K." He said and I nodded my head and looked down at the black high heeled shoes I wore, it was good to hear someone say that other than a person who was emotionally invested in me. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing my violet eyes as he sat back and crossed his legs. His stance completely relaxed as he studied me for a few moments, I folded my hands again and I felt everything in me crack.

"I just don't want to have the nightmares anymore." I said and sniffed, fighting back a tear. "They are keeping me awake and I am afraid that I will loose Loki because of them. I can't keep being afraid of closing my eyes anymore, and eventually he is going to get tired of having to wake me up and keep me from fighting whatever nightmares are in my head. I just can't do it anymore, keep pretending that it is all good."

"Have you talked to him about your being afraid of him leaving? Asked him if they are putting a strain on your relationship?" Sam asked and he politely gestured toward the box of tissues, I took one and dabbed my eyes and wiped my nose.

"No." I said and he lifted the wastebasket under his desk toward me so I could toss the tissue.

"How about asking him? They say that communications is the key to successful relationships, maybe you both could practice it. Apparently, he liked it, so he put a ring on it." Sam said and gestured to the gold knot work band with an amethyst set in the center of is on my finger. I laughed at his joke and smiled, remembering that night back in Asgard. He had completely caught me off guard, but it was still really sweet when it happened. He really did not have to say a thing, and I had a feeling what he was struggling to ask me and when he blurted it out I had to accept.

"Thanks Byonce." I said and smiled again.

"All the single ladies...whoa oh." He sang back at me and I laughed again and felt myself relax a bit more, he picked up the papers I filled out and dug through the ARMY coffee mug on his desk for a pen. He tapped them on the desk and flipped past the first page.

"Well, lets see how you rate thanks to this handy questionnaire that your tax dollars went into for rating Combat Stress. It is standard, so I may ask you to give me a bit more information and take a few notes, it will just give me an idea of how to continue your treatment." Sam said as he looked down at my responses, going down the list carefully and stopping to flip the pages back and forth a bit as he read.

"Did you witness the accident that killed your father?" He asked and I nodded. He looked up and he made a quick note on the page next to it, flipping to the next page as he read my responses. He was not judging me at all, just getting information on how to help me.

"You said yes to flashbacks and intrusive thoughts, can you tell me or describe a situation where you are triggered into having them?" He asked and I swallowed hard while thinking, some things were hard to explain and I had to find the words.

"No real trigger." I said. "I am just laying in bed, relaxing or just drifting off to sleep and it will just happen. I have to shake it off and start over relaxing again."

"Does it happen often?" Sam asked and I shook my head as he took some notes about it on the page. To be honest, I can't remember the last time it happened. It was a while ago and to me, not very memorable. I had to think hard about when it was and drew a total blank.

"No." I said and he made another note. "The nightmares are more frequent though."

"How often do you have those?" He asked me and I looked down at my hands, feeling really ashamed that I was about to admit to someone I was completely nuts. I played with the ring on my finger nervously as I thought and I looked over at the window again, watching a tan Humvee drive past the building on its way to somewhere.

"Can I open that?" I asked and he nodded. I stood up and slid the window open a bit, feeling relief as the fresh air blew in and I sighed. The cool air cleared the room, and the open window relaxed me. I sat back down in the chair and crossed my ankles as I settled again, Sam nodded as he noticed the change in me.

"How long have you been Claustrophobic?" He asked me and I looked at him, searching his face for a moment. He was not judging me at all, he was just asking a simple question. I relaxed and closed my eyes as my hands gripped my knees, thinking about both of the questions that he asked me. I did not want to seem crazy to him or anyone, I was also afraid he would say I needed to go into a hospital.

"The nightmares happen at least once, maybe twice a week. I have been claustrophobic since I was a kid. How could you tell about that?" I asked him and he sat back and looked at me after writing down a few notes on the pages in front of him, his dark brown eyes studied me for a moment and I felt a bit nervous.

"You relaxed as soon as you opened the window, and you have been looking out it ever since you got in this office. Do you know what may have caused you to be this way, to develop this condition?" Sam asked me and I nodded, I studied the black stockings I wore and gave the hem of my dress a tug to smooth it over my lap as I thought how to answer his question, some cans of worms needed to stay sealed.

"I was sent to a Foster Home right after my father died. As punishment, the adults would lock us in a wooden box for hours on end. I was the quiet kid, so I got most of the blame for everything that went wrong in the house, one day some money went missing and I was blamed for it. They left me in the box for three days, only letting me out to use the bathroom. Child Services found out what was happening to us and they moved all the kids in the house to different homes." I said and felt embarrassed at the story, Sam sat back in his chair. His face sympathetic, and he nodded silently and made notes about the event. I looked back out the window, and he tapped the desk with his pen.

"You know, that is the worst form of abuse I have ever heard, I have a patient who joined the Army to get away from his mother who branded him and his younger brother. I don't think you are crazy though, not enough that you need medication. We will start with the abuse in your childhood and work from there, you have forty-five minutes left. Let's just see how far we can get today, make another appointment for a couple of weeks from now. I am also going to give you some homework, a few things I want you to try on your own to help with the bad dreams. I also want you to talk to your grumpy friend out there about your fears for your relationship, it is healthy and if he really wants you to get better, he will listen." Sam said and I nodded at him, feeling better that I was not about to be committed.

"Thank you." I said and he prompted me to start with my father, after that the flood gates opened and I exorcised my soul to a complete stranger.

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We sat on the steps together and looked at the reflecting pool of the Washington Monument, it was a beautiful Spring day and Loki and I were content. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he smiled down at me. The sun was bright and the monument tall in the reflected waters. I could have spent forever there, just watching the world pass us by. Two people lost in an ocean of faces, and yet not so lost as long as we were together.

"Was it helpful to speak to that man?" Loki asked and I looked at him, worried he may be upset and found him perfectly calm. His necktie flapped in the breeze and he picked the petal from a cherry blossom out of my hair and I smiled, relaxing.

"Yeah, it actually did help a bit. Does it bother you?" I asked him and he put his arm around my back and laughed.

"What troubles me, is that you suffered through those nightmares for as long as you have. If it is beneficial to you, then I am there to offer support an guidance." Loki said and I kissed his pale cheek, I slipped my arm around his back and gave him a squeeze. I smiled at his answer as I studied the ripples in the reflecting pool for a moment and debated asking him the question that Sam challenged me to, I was afraid of the answer.

"You wouldn't want to, dump me, you know, because of my issues?" I asked him and he pulled away from me in shock, his brows knotted and he looked down at me. I wanted to scoot away, and run for cover right then and there.

"Never." He said and studied my face. "Who put such furniture in your head? I would have words with them immediately to set them on the correct course."

"No one. I just felt a bit worried, you know. I wasn't sure about how it was affecting you, and I felt anxious that it was becoming too much for you." I said and swallowed hard. He gave me a smile as he hugged me close to him, his nose finding the top of my head and soothing me. I tightened my arms around Loki and he rubbed my back.

"It is not becoming too much Little Mouse, I promise you that." He said and I gave him a longer squeeze around his ribs.

"Are you going to allow me breath?" Loki asked me and I shook my head and laughed in his ear, he chuckled into my neck and I felt his tongue dart out and up my jaw. Blushing, I pulled away quickly and shocked as he laughed at me, handing me a handkerchief from an inside pocket of his suit as he laughed.

"I can't believe you did that!" I said and wiped my neck and chin, he laughed again and I rolled my eyes as my blush deepened.

"That shade of red is rather becoming on you, I may have to do that again sometime." He said and took the cloth back, putting it into his jacket neatly and I laughed back at him. I covered my face with my hands and his arm snaked around my back again, pulling me back to him and I smiled as I turned back to admire the monument in the distance. The Obelisk reflected in the water as we held each other and enjoyed just existing. I smiled and watched the breeze create ripples in the water of the reflecting pool, the heels of my shoes scraping a bit as I shifted next to him and he looked down at me.

"What should we do next?" I asked him and he shrugged, his shoulder length black hair ruffling in the breeze.

"I am not entirely sure, what would you like to do?" He asked and I thought about it for a long moment, not really sure myself. He nudged me and I looked up at him, grinning as he studied me and smiled.

"I am thinking, don't rush me, I am still shocked you licked me." I said to him and he laughed at me. "Maybe we could just walk for a bit and see where we end up."

"I can agree with that." Loki said as he stood up, taking both of my hands in his to help me stand. I tucked my hand into his elbow and we walked along the paved path. He looked proud to have me next to him, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought that I was being shown off. It was kind of nice in a way, not many people really thought I was something to brag about.

We walked out to the main road and followed the sidewalk, Loki insisted on walking closer to the street and I let my fingers play with the low fence as we walked. And old man rode a bicycle past us and rang his bell on his handlebars as we passed, he gave us both a pleasant smile and a wave as he passed us. We were just another couple on the streets of Washington D.C, enjoying a nice afternoon walk and the company of each other.

If it were only just that easy.

We walked for about an hour, when we found a nice open air mall and we window shopped for a bit. I was admiring a strand of pearls in the window of Tiffany and Company when a group of kids walked past us. One of the boys turned and looked at me over the frames of his sunglasses and winked at me, his attempt at being cute eliciting an eye roll from me. Loki saw the gesture and glared at the little douche bag and I wrapped my hand around his arm, trying to keep him from going off on the kid.

"Ignore him Magic Dance." I said and he looked at me, returning to glaring at the kid. "He is just another jerk who wishes he was in your shoes, but never will be."

"He should learn better manners, before a person teaches him the err of his ways in a painful way." I rolled my eyes and frowned at him. I was currently more worried about the kid than I was about Loki, he could be overprotective at times and somewhat scary. I guess it comes as part of the territory and I had to admit, he did bail me out of some bad situations. I was just worried what would happen if some kid like that crossed his line and he decided to teach that person a lesson, it would probably be pretty damn bad.

"He should probably learn some manners, but he probably never will. He is D.C. Money, his parents will bail him out of whatever trouble he gets into and pay the witnesses off. I've seen it happen before." I said and looked back at the display of jewelry in the small widows before we moved on. We continued to wander, weaving in and out of stores as we walked. I smiled at some items as I picked up a purse and Loki nodded approval at it, I then lifted some silk scarves and took in their patterns as I admired them. Loki looked at a display of ties and silk handkerchiefs in the same store, looking at some neatly pressed shirts and putting the folded garments back. We left the store and walked on, enjoying the day when Loki stopped suddenly, his jaw tightening as he stood still. I looked up at him and felt uneasy, he only got like that when he felt threatened.

"What's wrong?" I asked him and he looked at me and his jaw tightened worse. I put my hand on his arm and he looked over his shoulder behind him, directly at two of the boys from before. I rolled my eyes and pulled Loki along, doing my best to ignore the two douche bags when my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked down at the screen to see it was Steve and answered it, smiling at Loki and showing him the caller.

"Hi Steve, how are you? Still star spangled patriotic?" I said and was greeted with the sound of gym equipment in the background. He laughed at my joke and I could hear him shake his head and look at the ceiling.

"I'm good." He replied and I leaned against Loki. "How did it go with Sam? I'm really glad you decided to talk to him, he is really a great guy and he was happy to take your case."

"It was actually good, and you were right to send me to him. I feel pretty good after talking to him, and I see him again in a couple of weeks." Loki stood still as I wrapped my arm up around his back, he smiled and gave my hair a gently tug to get my attention. He nodded at a window of a store and I turned and looked through it and stepped forward to see what it was, I shrugged from what I could see. People in the store were grouped around the display of televisions, watching the news reports of a fire somewhere. It looked like a large building and I shook my head back at Loki, shrugging to tell him I did not know.

"Has anyone heard anything about The Horsemen Steve?" I asked as I watched the screen and shrugged back at Loki, it was something in England and it was hard for me to see the full report without shoving through the crowd. Being five foot nothing had its disadvantages.

"Not in the last six months, they have been quiet since Florida. It has Fury worried though, no one goes to ground without some plan in the wings. Everyone is working on their angle though, but I guess no news is good news. You two going to be around D.C. For a while?" Steve said as we both began walking again, I smiled and thought it would be nice to see the gang again for a few minutes before we went back to Asgard.

"We might be, we are just window shopping now. Why?" I asked and smiled up at Loki, I felt a little goofy as I grinned up at him and made kissy faces at him. He chuckled at me and I repressed a giggle as I turned on the ball of my foot and looked in a window of dresses.

"I was thinking that maybe we could meet up. Have an early dinner or late lunch, you know, three friends playing catch up." He said and I grinned, I pulled the phone away from my ear and Loki looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Want to meet up with Steve, he invited us to lunch?" I asked him and he thought about it an nodded slightly.

"Sounds like an agreeable plan, we could share with him our happy news." Loki said and ran his fingers over my ring as he smiled at me, I giggled and looked up at him as I put the phone back to my ear, it was going to be good to see Steve again. I sort of missed everyone here when I was back in Asgard, learning how to further control my powers and be protected by Odin and Thor. I wondered if everyone was good, and if they were all still alive and I sometimes chewed Thor's ear off about news on them every time he came back from Earth. I had to be driving him crazy at times, always asking for details when he mentioned something about Tony or Natasha.

"Sure, we are both up for it." I said and poked my tongue out at Loki, he frowned and stared down at me as I grinned back at him.

"Great. Where are you both at? I will meet you there and we can figure out food from there." Steve said and I turned out of Loki's arms and looked around, thinking as I moved. I found a sign identifying the shopping center and I noticed the boys again, I gave them the finger and turned on my heel back to Loki.

"Union Station, nothing fancy for lunch though. Maybe a sandwich or Starbucks." I said and heard Steve laugh into the phone.

"Are you sure Starbucks is a good idea? The last time we were in one was a disaster." He said and I laughed. "Tony if footing the bill so we can go a bit crazy, I was thinking a steak."

"Well in that case, I want lobster. We will be wandering about, call me when you park." I said and disconnected the phone, I turned back around and put the phone back in my dress pocket. Loki regarded me as I looked up at him, I smiled at him warmly and put my hands on my hips.

"Our happy news?" I challenged him and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Are you not happy with it?" He asked me and I slipped my hand into his elbow as we continued to walk along. Glancing in windows as we strolled along and I smiled at him.

"I am." I said and he looked at me. I was over the moon to be engaged, and a bit nervous at the same time. I was not sure sometimes where I stood in the whole scheme of the universe, and I was never sure about myself at times. There were times too where Loki was harder to read than Cuneiform, and his past scared me. One day he could decide that he wanted to overthrow Thor and Odin, and I was worried about which side I would stand on. Loki's or my friends, the people who protected me and kept every bad thing in the universe at bay. I hoped every day I would not have to make that choice, and even more worried that I someday would.

The two boys followed us, and I got the distinct feeling they were both up to something. Loki rested his hand in the small of my back as I stopped and admired a window filled with various shoes. Don't judge, I may be the most powerful being in creation, but I was still a woman. In my defense, those shoes were beautiful too. I pointed at a pair of black heeled Mary Jane styled shoes with a gold buckle and Loki nodded his approval at them.

"We are being followed." I said and he nodded and looked at me, I tapped my heel on the floor impatiently. Doing my best to not give them any attention because that would only feed into their egos, and I really wanted to avoid a fight.

"I know, and they seem rather fascinated by you." He said and I rolled my eyes. "I have an eye on them, don't worry yourself Little Mouse."

"I'm not, I am just hoping that we don't have to have a fight in the middle of the Mall. It is a nice day, and I don't want it ruined because of a couple of jerks." I replied and stopped, pulling Loki over to a window display of various rocks and minerals. Sparkling specimens from around the world were on display and I probably looked like a little kid admiring a toy store window display before Christmas.

"Oh wow, that Quartz Geode is huge." I said and Loki laughed at me. "Check out the size and color of that Citrine in the back too."

I bent my knees to look at a cut and polished piece of Laborodite when I heard the distinct sound of a camera phone clicking behind me. I stood up, excitement fading as I watched the two boys walk on, looking down at a phone and laughing. I knew exactly what they did and I put my arms around myself at the violation. Loki looked at me as I shivered and glared at the two boys, they turned and the one in the sunglasses gave me a thumbs up. I got angry then, and my hands turned to fists.

"What was that?" Loki said and looked at me in concern.

"They just up skirted me." I said and Loki looked at me in confusion, I did not have time to explain it to him but I would later. I walked toward them and grabbed the cell phone from the douche bags hands.

"Excuse me bitch that is mine. But if you want my digits for later, all you got to do is ask." The boy said and I scrolled through his camera roll, finding the picture of me. He tried to pull the phone back and I glared at him, using a glamour to make my eyes black orbs and put up a finger. Everything about my stance staggered the kid back as I blinked off the glamour and glared at him.

"Like talking pictures huh?" I said and he smirked at me, I held his phone in my hand as I glared at him. He was exactly what my assessment was, and I was not going to play into his games. This kid came from a rich parentage and he got away with way too much, it was time he met his match.

"You should like it boo, you are hot baby. Hell, I could ride you all night long and make you famous." He said and reached for the phone again. Two Police officers walked by and noticed the tension brewing. They approached to see what was going on and I glared at the kid again, Loki took what the kid said to me personally and was not happy himself.

"Boo is something a ghost says, and I am so not a baby. As for riding me all night long, you wouldn't know what to do with a nude woman if you saw one, I am guessing just cry and feel blessed as she laughs at you." I said and the cop put a hand on the kid's shoulder, I handed him the phone with the pictures displayed. "This pervert and his friend are up skirting women, have fun officers. I really suggest a Sex Offender Registry for both of them."

I walked back to Loki and he glared at the two boys, figuring out what happened for himself. We watched as both of the boys were led away and I smirked and waved at the both of them to rub some salt in their now open wound. Loki put an arm around me and I crossed my arms and his hand rested on my hip as we walked down the concourse. I could feel his tension, and I did my best to not shiver at the thought of those boys seeing under my clothes.

"You should have just told me, I would have beaten them both." He said and I looked at him as we walked, I stopped him and pointed back the way we came patiently.

"Trust me, their entire future is ruined by me right now. They had enough evidence on their cell phone to land them on a very bad list for life. I handled myself well too, I could have knocked their block off but I didn't. Just relax." I said and he wrapped his arms around me, I smiled as I leaned in close to him and saw an older couple with a child walk by, smiling at the both of us as we separated. I felt better, and I kissed his chin as he smiled at me.

"Sneaky Little Mouse." He said and I giggled at him, and he pulled me back to him and kissed me properly. My head spun a bit and I had to let myself come back down to Earth for a moment, three years of that and you think I would be used to it, but it was always fun to feel that way. Like the whole center of another person's universe was you, and they were yours. I hoped I never would get used to him and that feeling, it was more interesting to have my heart skip beats when he was close.

"Lets go find Steve and tell him the good news." I said and kissed him again quickly, I slipped my hand into his elbow and led him toward the restaurants at the other end of the Mall.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

London, England. One Week Ago.

Marcel ran his thumb along the sharp blade of his knife, glancing briefly at the pale, blonde man duct taped to the wooden chair across from him. The pathetic man cried and whimpered around his gag, muffled pleas for mercy emitting from him as snot bubbled from his nose. He walked calmly over to the man and waved the knife over the pictures of his family, the eyes of the restrained man going wide as he looked down at each of the images on the table in front of him. His whimpers becoming higher in pitch as the man begged around the tape, trying to be heard and understood. Marcel silenced the man with a slap, also getting his undivided attention.

"You understand then? That if you do not do this task for us, my employer will have me kill your family Paul?" Marcel said in a calm, even manner. Never raising his voice as he spoke, the even tone of his voice mimicking a casual conversation between long time friends. Paul, the orderly of the Royal London Hospital, was hand selected as easy to persuade and very easy to manipulate. He was a people pleaser by nature, always taking extra shifts, never late for work, and performing the tasks no one else wanted to do. And he had a close family he did everything for, he was perfect in that. His family was his greatest weakness, and the threat of loosing them would make the man do anything.

"Come now Paul, I would hate to kill your wife and children because you refuse to cooperate with The Four Horsemen. It is very simple my friend." He said and patted the man's cheek as he walked behind him and rested his elbows on Paul's shoulders. He used the tip of the knife in his hand to clean under his nails pausing only to wave the shining blade as he spoke, randomly gesturing with his hands as he repeated each of the instructions. Punctuating each movement with a random tap on the bound man's face with the blade to ensure he was paying attention and that he was perfectly clear as what could happen.

"I will give you a cell phone to carry on you every day, that is all you have to do, carry it in your pocket and keep it charged at all times. There will be one and only one phone number programmed into it, do not call the number. When we call you, you will call the number programmed into the phone. From there, you will be given further instructions of what we want you to do. It is a very easy task, after it is done your family will be safe." Marcel said and heard the man whimper again in fear as the knife blade tapped his nose. He tapped the blade of the knife in his palm and gave the scared man under him plenty of time to process what could happen if he refused. Marcel walked back around the chair to face Paul, pulling it away from the desk and turning it so that he could stand in front of him without the desk blocking him. He looked at himself in a dingy mirror in one corner of the basement and fixed his medium length black hair.

"Your family will be home soon Paul, I suggest you agree before they arrive. I would hate to kill them because you are being stubborn." He said and looked down at the man, a sad look crossing his eyes before he nodded his agreement to perform whatever Marcel wanted him to do. He smiled at Paul and looked directly at him as he pulled a flip phone out of his pants pocket and set it down on the table next to Paul. He was very sure to show his new friend where the phone was and began rolling his shirt sleeves down and buttoning the cuffs neatly. Every motion was part of the theatrics of torture, make them feel safe and secure, do not raise your voice, repeat their name to establish that you are familiar with them, remain calm and show them the instruments that can cause them suffering, it was the perfect theater of pain to Marcel and he so enjoyed what he did.

"Remember one thing Paul." He said as he picked up his pearl gray suit jacket and smoothed the royal blue dress shirt he wore, carefully ensuring the lavender tie was straight and neat in the mirror. "That phone is your families life. If you are ever without it, one of them dies in punishment, and I think I will start with your infant daughter."

He put the suit jacket back on, adjusting the collar and patted the phone on the table again, a smile playing across his face as he looked at the man. Paul nodded his understanding and Marcel smiled at the helpless man again, disappointed inwardly that Paul was cooperating. He walked back around behind Paul and spoke into his ear, this time the casual voice was gone, leaving a venom dipped tone of warning that would terrify the most hardened of men.

"Tell anyone about this, betray The Four Horsemen, and I will kill your wife in the most painful way possible and make your children watch before I make you watch them die, one at a time and savor their screams. Am I understood Paul?" Marcel said, leaning over the man's shoulders. The wooden chair protested under the added weight and creaked at the joints. He could feel the man shiver at the contact and the threat, his mind most likely imagining what it would be like to watch the woman suffer and die. His sweat and tears slicking his face as he nodded, whimpering around the gag again as Marcel stepped back and rested a hand on the captive's shoulder.

"I am so happy we could come to an agreement Paul, you have a lovely family. I am sure you would hate to see anything terrible to happen to them." He said, the casual quality returning to his voice as he looked down at the man. He gave the shoulder under his hand another squeeze and patted the man pleasantly, almost friendly in a way.

"You are a smart man, your children should be so proud to know what their father is willing to do to save them. What lengths you will go to to ensure that they live to see another day."

"I am going to cut your hands free Paul. After which you may remove your gag and untie your legs, but you may not leave that chair for an hour. I do not want to have to cut one of your children's hands off should you disobey." Marcel said and used the knife to cut the duct tape that held the man's wrists. He folded the knife and slipped it into his pocket as he walked up the stairs in a calm and collected manner, pausing briefly before ascending.

"One hour Paul, we will speak again soon, and remember that phone is your children's life." Marcel said as Paul's shoulders crumpled in fear, shaking as he used numb fingers to unwrap the tape from his wrists and whimpering in pain as he pulled the hairs on this wrists out. Marcel let out a long breath and felt disgust at the pathetic man as he walked up the cellar stairs and out of the house.

Marcel walked down the street to the dark blue Aston Martin that was given to him courtesy of The Four Horsemen, thumbing the key fob and starting the engine while unlocking the doors and a soft chime greeted him. He slipped gracefully into the beautiful car using movements that only years of careful training in martial arts could give him, years of torturing his own body to make himself into the perfect killing machine. He scrolled through the contacts in his phone and found a entry simply marked "Death" and tapped the send icon, waiting while the phone rang as he pulled the car out and into traffic.

"Hello Marcel, I am always happy to hear from you my friend." Stephen Johanasson said into the phone and sounded strangely happy for it being so early in the morning in Long Island. The idiot was probably up all night, staring at the pictures of the black haired woman again. Six months ago, she had left Earth with Thor and Loki, leaving the figurehead and defacto leader of The Horsemen craving any news about her. He was like a school boy with a crush, and Marcel found it pathetic really how he acted over the girl.

"The final pawn is in place for Phase One." Marcel said, letting the steering wheel slide under his hands as he came out of a turn, savoring the feeling of the polished wood accents that punctuated the leather. So smooth under his hands as he controlled the car, so easy to get lost in the touch.

"That is wonderful news, you have done well. There is a ticket home waiting for you at Heathrow. You have once again, earned the respect of The Horsemen." Stephen said into the phone as Marcel slowed the car to a stop at a light. In one week War, whose real mane was Adam McPhearson would make one of the largest statements in the history of global terrorism. It made Marcel smile to himself in pride, knowing that he was part of changing the world for the better. Creating a better world, one master plan at a time.

"Thank you. I am proud to help you." Marcel said and he phone disconnected suddenly. Marcel drove to the airport in silence, his entire demeanor completely relaxed as if nothing in the world could ever bother him. And nothing did.

Soon, he would be on an airplane to his next target, either to coerce or kill them and none of it mattered to him. He only felt pride in himself when he was performing these tasks for his employer. And there would always be another task, another small errand that needing taken care of.

It was who he was, every inch of him. A killer.

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Plum Island, New York. Now.

Stephen Johanasson looked out the large conference room window overlooking the eight hundred forty acre island and folded his hands behind his back. His company, Ghemma Pharmaceuticals bought the former Animal Disease Research Facility five years ago from the government and he never regretted the decision to move his base of operations to the island. Most of the older buildings were torn down and replaced with new, more modern structures. Better labs were built, and new monsters were created on the island that was so famous for being the epicenter of the first outbreaks of Lyme Disease.

If only the locals knew of the monsters that were created behind these walls now, they would lament their dropping property values and flee from the surrounding area like rats from the Titanic as it sank. If only they knew, it would give them nightmares and make them shudder in their million dollar properties.

He looked down at his black Armani Suit and wondered if he should have chosen a different tie instead of the sky blue one he wore now. He felt it stood out too much from the white shirt, but still appreciated the contrast it created. It reminded him strangely of the juxtaposition of his blue eyes and brown hair, a striking effect on people when they met him, a melding of shadow and light.

He sighed and studied the flock of geese that had roosted on the island, it was so peaceful to see them grazing among the tall grass, some of them nesting and he found the effect calming in the chaos of his irritated thoughts. Among them a beautiful white swan with a black spot on one wing, a creature he felt such fondness for, one he named something pleasant as he watched the bird pace. He watched it pace and traced his fingers over the window, in his mind a black haired woman walked among then wearing a lovely white dress. The fabric wrapping around her legs as she fed the beautiful, graceful animal, a soft smile on her face.

War was late, the luxury yacht that belonged to the Scottish owner of the largest weapons manufacturer in the world was just now docking below him on the southern most point of the island. The man made billions off of the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, he could more than afford a proper wrist watch. There was so much to prepare before The Horsemen made their great statement that would make them so very public, they were about to become the most hated men in the world. All in the name of creating something greater than the one they would be destroying.

Today was not the day to be late.

Stephen stepped back from the window and turned to the bank of television screens in front of him, no sound coming from them but each playing news reports from around the world. Every news outlet on display in front of him, all going through the mundane points of interest currently. Weather, sport scores, and water skiing squirrel, all to soon be interrupted. His eyes scanned the screens, double checking that he had not missed any of them and smiled at his brilliance. He looked at the countdown above the televisions and found the red digits holding at just under two hours. Nothing was overlooked in his careful planning, not even the smallest detail was left to chance. Everything would be perfect for today, and soon he would have everything he ever wanted.

Adam McPhearson pushed through the doors, his green eyes shining with excitement for the evening. His face flushed so red from running, it was almost hard to tell where his skin ended and his fiery hair and close cropped beard began. The man was a wild spirit and it showed when he stood in the presence of Stephen, even his jeans, button up shirt, and deck shoes were a stark contrast to Stephen's neat attire. Death demanded better of his fellow Horsemen when they met formally, and Adam tested him ever way he could.

"Oy! Stephen. Sorry ta keep yer watin'. And further apology about the clothes, I had nae time ta change." War said and smiled at the head of the organization, catching his breath from the exertion.

"I can forgive one but not the other, tonight is important to all of us. What if some last minute detail prevented us from moving forward? Please try, in the future to be more professional. We are about to change the world, I think you can afford to arrive early instead of fucking whatever whore you found in a port somewhere." Stephen said, not taking his eyes off the televisions as he spoke. His entire countenance relaxed as Adam shifted nervously and looked down in shame. A scolded or beaten dog that earned his master's irritation.

"Stephen, I had a bit of trouble with the engines of me boat, we had ta fix the problem or I would still be drifitn' in tha North Atlantic. I promise ye, it will not happen again, and ye are the best at plannin' you have every detail planned, can we focus on the celebratin'?" War said and Death turned toward his long time friend and partner. He patiently regarded the man as the clock above the televisions continued counting down. He did his best to not strike the Scotsman in anger, but still wanted to so badly.

"Tonight is important Adam, I will forgive you this time. Go change and put something more appropriate, I expect better of my men. Tonight we will celebrate the world changing and the birth of our world." Stephen said and turned back to the news reports, reading the various tickers across the bottoms of the screens. Behind him, Adam left the room silently to put on his best black on black suit.

Stephen turned and looked around the conference room, walking forward and tracing his fingers over the smooth table. He approached a wall and pressed a button to slide back the panels, revealing a lovely black gown with a high collar and long sleeves and a crown. A crown for the queen that would rule this planet at his side, his Black Madonna. His smile widened as he imagined himself placing the crown on her head and seeing he smile at him in gratitude. He pressed the button again and smiled to himself as the panels closed, after that night, the world would never be the same again.

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I laughed as Steve finished his story about Tony's latest Lab disaster in designing a new weapons systems for his suit as we sat on the patio of the restaurant. I threw my head back and let loose at the description, and Loki even laughed a bit as Steve described the explosion that wiped out half the lab and left Tony with ringing ears for a week. I stabbed a tomato from my salad with my fork and Loki laughed harder, seeming to be genuinely enjoying himself as we both visited with our friend. He licked his lips and sipped his glass of wine, doing his best to not laugh again as he pictured Tony trying to clear his ears.

"And how is Bruce doing? Last I heard he was practicing medicine again. At least that is what Thor said last time he came back from a visit, something also about a girl named Jane dumping him. There was a lot of tears and sobbing." I said as the waitress set out plates in front of us and took away the salads. I looked at my poached salmon and smiled as I took a fork and carefully separated the flesh from the scales, taking a bite of the fish. Loki ordered the same as me and he sampled from his plate, savoring the meal. Steve ordered a steak and he was cutting the meat into pieces as he laughed and pushed the mashed potatoes to the side and away from his meat.

"He went to the Sudan with Doctors Without Borders. There is a Cholera outbreak there, and he wanted to help the locals. Apparently, it is pretty bad, and he has been up to his neck working, but his last email to everyone says that he is enjoying it all." Steve said and I smiled at the news.

"That is really sweet, he really likes helping people. For a guy who turns all green and angry, he is a real softie." I said as Steve chewed at a piece of steak. Hearing that my friends here were doing good was refreshing news, especially considering that we all barely survived the last time I was here. Loki laughed at my assessment of Bruce and I fought the urge to elbow him in the ribs. Loki got his ass kicked by Bruce and I saw the video of it, he deserved it, but I still was glad that they had a tentative truce going. The alternative looked really painful, and unplesant.

"How is Stark getting on, Thor mentioned something of a new medicine that would help mortals?" Loki asked and Steve nodded, swallowing the food in his mouth by washing it down with a long drink of beer.

"It is called a vaccine, and he is saving the world with it, or so he claims. He is actually getting some award for it from the Medical Association, he is of course next to impossible to live with. Stark Pharmaceuticals is being ripped apart by the media though, they had a field day with the announcement with the company coming public for only charging ten dollars for it. They are all saying that he went crazy again and that he is just ruining his profits. He also is offering the newly designed Epi Pen for only five dollars, he is acting like he saved the universe."Steve snorted and I rolled my eyes. Big Pharma was a huge annoyance for me, people had rights to affordable healthcare in my universe, yet the powers that be were profiting by people staying sick. I was actually proud of Tony for stepping up to the plate by offering affordable medicines, Stark Industries still made a huge profit and the other companies felt the pinch of his influence.

"That is actually really cool of Tony, people before profits." I said and Steve smiled at me around a mouthful of mashed potato. I resisted the urge to tell him to slow down before he choked, but I did not really need to be teased for playing Miss. Manners at the table.

"What did you think of Sam?" Steve asked me and I sighed, he had to bring up the crazy elephant in the room and I did my best to not get mad at him. It was something that was going to be brought up eventually, and I was right. They needed to know I was not completely broken though, and could handle everything.

"He has a good head on his shoulders. I made another appointment in two weeks, thanks for recommending him and urging me to see him." I said and Steve looked at me expectantly, I rolled my eyes and set my fork down. I did not want to be judged for having the problems I was currently having thanks to the head full of nightmares I carried around.

"I have problems Steve, I am no different than anyone else in that respect." I snapped and Loki put a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't believe that Rogers if judging you Little Mouse. Calm down, he is being a friendly ear." Loki said and offered me a drink of his wine, I put my hand up and shook my hand and he took the glass back. I quit drinking months ago, deciding that I was just making my problems worse by self medicating with booze.

"I will stick with my tea, it is really good. Sorry Steve, I just don't want to be looked down on because of my problems. I don't want people to think I am a total wimp for all this." I said and he patted the back of my hand and smiled at me.

"You admitted you have problems, that is more than some people ever do. I have heard the stories about guys coming back from Iraq and struggling every day, and as for you being a wimp? Do you even know how tough you are? You fight a war with your head every day and win, that is pretty strong there." Steve replied and I smiled at him. "I can tell you that everyone will understand and is glad you asked for help."

"I can agree with Rogers statement. You need to not listen to what Thor and his band of merry fools spouts. They are not you." Loki said and nodded at Steve, the two men had actually started to understand one another the last time we were here. Zombies really can bring enemies together.

"Thanks Steve. I guess you figured out that Loki is being supportive too, it helps to know that I have that in my corner." I said and Steve raised an eyebrow at me as he chewed.

"Thor is picking on you for having PTSD?" Steve said, shocked at what I had said and I scrambled to defend them in their absence.

"Thor and the rest can't figure out Combat Stress, because they were raised to fight. They lived knowing they had to fight to defend theirs, I kind of got thrown into the battle kicking and screaming with little training." I said and ate some of the salmon, it was delicious and the meat almost melted in my mouth. The sweetness of the fish mingling perfectly with the lemon and dill used to flavor it, I chewed slowly and swallowed.

"And I remind you to not feel shame for it." Loki said and Steve nodded. "Any mind can fracture under pressure, and you were under a great deal of it for a long time. Never feel shame for telling them that you wanted help for those ghosts that haunt you."

"See, I told you. Some of us are proud of you. At least I think that is what he said." Steve replied and I laughed at him, Loki nodded to confirm his statement and I laughed again.

"Thanks guys." I said and smiled to myself. Steve shoveled another mouthful of steak in and put up a finger remembering something and put up a finger as he chewed quickly. He reached into his pocket and pulled passes to The Smithsonian out of his pocket, swallowing his food as he looked at Loki and I. My eyes got wide seeing the tickets on them and I picked them up.

"Tony got me a bunch of those. If you guys are still going to be around for a while, you want to go?" Steve asked and I grinned at him, getting excited at the offer and giggling like a girl meeting her favorite pop star.

"Do I! Oh my god! They have the Hope Diamond, and the largest collection of fossils in the world. Their Air and Space wing is amazing on top of that! I have always wanted to go!" I said excited, and nearly started bouncing in my seat as Loki gave me a sidelong glance.

"Don't make me beg, because I will. Shamelessly. I have always wanted to walk through The Smithsonian." I said and Loki looked at the passes and then back at me in amusement. He sighed, faking his begrudged relenting to my request and looked at me patiently as I pleaded with him non verbally.

"I do not see how I could say no." Loki replied and I giggled as I clapped my hands. I could also tell he was interested in seeing the museum himself, he and I shared an insane need to learn all the time. The two of us would spend hours over various books and studying everything we could, we even were in the process of studying an ancient temple we found in ruins back in Asgard. It drove everyone else nuts to watch us, and they hid their teasing but it was there. We were the smart kids at the table, and we were not at all ashamed of it.

"Now that is a super sexy statement." I joked and he smiled at me. I ate some more of the fish and smiled at Steve. "Thanks a lot for inviting us, that is really nice of you."

"It is not problem, the passes were free and I don't know that many people who would be interested in them. Maybe you can explain some of the science stuff to me, I get lost every time I am there." Steve said and I was impressed that Loki did not have a rude comment to fire back at Steve. Instead, he nodded as he looked across the table at the man who once faced him in combat. Weird how things worked out, and I felt strangely content as I noticed Loki looking down at my ring hand as he thought about something. I go nervous suddenly, and scrambled for a topic to start other than out relationship and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"What have you been up to? Any exciting adventures since the last one with us?" I asked as the waitress set the folder with the check in front of us. He pinched his eyes in thought and Loki looked up with detached interest, he let out a breath through his nose and I grinned at him.

"No, nothing exciting. Mostly catching up on every thing I missed because I was frozen. I liked some of the movies you added to my list, Harry Potter was a lot of fun to watch. I am thinking about getting a dog, and I have seen way too many television shows to count." Steve replied and I gave him a thumbs up as I chewed a mouthful of fish.

"Sounds wonderfully boring, everything considered. I can totally see you with a dog, and they are chick magnets." I said and Loki chuckled. Steve took another bite of potato and nodded, he looked at the check and opened his wallet to put a Stark Industries credit card in the folder. He sat back in his chair and handed me his cell phone.

"Change the ringtone. Please." He said and I giggled as he looked at me with a smirk.

"Did the Star Spangled Banner get worn out?" I asked him and he sighed at me. I may or may not have set his ringtone to the tune as a joke the last time I was on Earth, and it was a pretty mean joke on my part. But so worth it, I could only imagine everyone rolling their eyes at him every time his phone went off and the most obvious ringtone being obvious.

"Tony keeps saluting me every time my phone rings. He started calling me on purpose to tease me. It was worn out a month after you left." Steve said and I felt bad about setting the tone, I really did not mean for it to go that far. I scrolled through the options and changed it to Moonlight Sonata, Tony could be a jerk as times. At least this ringtone would be harder to pick on Steve about.

"Moonlight Sonata, if he teases you about this one, I will eat my shoe." I said and he put the phone back in his pocket, smiling at me as he did so.

"I know that song, and thank you." He replied and I smiled back at him. "What have you two been up to? Have you discovered anything new that you can do?"

"Thor is on like some Asgardian House Arrest because he annoyed Odin, and nearly started a war with Vanheim. That is a crazy story there, and I am proud to say that we had nothing to do with it at all. Sif and the rest had to bail him out before all hell broke loose though and I was so glad we were were not there for the aftermath on that one. Odin was beyond pissed there for about a day or so thanks to that one, and no one wanted to cross his path for about a week." I said and took a sip of the tea. I noticed that Loki was going to say something, and I cut him off with a quick addition.

"Loki took me to Jotunheim, I got to meet Tilgun's three wives, and his two sons. It was really fascinating, I also enjoyed seeing the big guy again." I said and Steve nodded. I was out of stuff to talk about and I could hear the coming announcement like a runaway train on the horizon, I was happy about it all but not sure how our friends would react.

"He was a huge help with everything there. Was it a Diplomatic thing?" Steve asked and I was about to answer, but Loki cut me off.

"Not entirely, just a visit now that there is a treaty and to ensure that the peace remains intact. I also wished to tell Tilgun the happy news that Lilliana and I are to be bound in marriage." Loki said and I blushed, Steve looked at me wide eyed and laughed. I held out my hand and showed him the ring, he smiled as he looked at the little gold band and then at Loki. I worried for a half second as Steve took my hand and held onto it, his thumb tracing the stone and smiled.

"Congratulations," Steve said and looked at Loki. "Is this because you lost that bet?"

"No. I commissioned the ring to be made so that I could follow at least one observed tradition of Midgard months before the wager was made. Perhaps I just needed to stop carrying it in my pocket and place it on the destined finger." Loki said, looking completely composed as he spoke, I smiled as Steve let go of my hand. I was blushing and giddy inside at knowing that Steve approved of it all, he grinned and looked at Loki. Not everyone in Asgard was supportive of the union, Odin was making us wait longer than their traditions stated, and Hogun and Volstagg were completely floored by it. Thor was overly excited about it all, the big lug almost made the Allfather perform the ceremony the moment we went before him and announced the intention. Fandral and Sif planned a murder, and I debated hiding in another realm for a week with Loki to prevent it. I still think that Sif is somewhere in the castle though, sharpening her sword.

Loki agreed to waiting though, It was too close to the anniversary of Frigga's death, and it was a hard time for everyone with it being still fresh in everyone's mind. I said that patience was a good thing in that case.

"Can I come to the wedding, or whatever it is?" Steve asked suddenly and I nodded at him.

"Of course." I said and looked at Loki, he smiled and nodded his agreement. "You guys are my friends, you definitely have to be there. I may also need you guys to stop a murder during the ceremony."

Steve sat back in his chair and laughed a bit to himself as he looked at the both of us. Somewhere in the background, I could hear fireworks going off and Loki turned his head at the sound, looking for the source. He could be hyper aware at times, and anything that sounded like a threat would have his attention. Steve looked around as well, but he shrugged the popping sounds off and I sighed, it was a nice afternoon and it was even better to be with people I trusted. The waitress brought me another cup of tea, scooping up the folder as she moved past. The fireworks became louder and I turned my head and saw smoke rising in the distance, Loki squinted at the thick black smoke and looked concerned.

"That looks to be a rather large fire." Loki said and I nodded my agreement. Steve shifted in his seat and looked in the direction the both of us were, his mouth falling open in shock.

"The Pentagon is that way." Steve said and a large explosion rocked the ground under us and rose from where the smoke was coming from, a finger of fire stretching into the blue sky.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

London, England. Five minutes ago.

Paul pushed the bin filled with soiled linens down the hall, turning the corner to get another to continue with his work duties. He was exhausted after a week of too much worry and very little sleep, all he wanted was for his personal hell to be over with so he could go back forward with his life. He wanted for his family to be safe and he tried not to let his anxiety show, but sometimes it came through and he snapped at someone when he did not mean to. The cell phone the man left him was always in his pocket, and he was careful to never let the battery die on him, being sure to charge it on all his breaks whether it needed to be or not.

He would not let his family die because he made a mistake, he would not be the cause of their demise because of something he failed to do.

He nervously patted his pocket to see if the phone was still there, sighing in relief as he felt the now familiar bulge of the cell there and continued on. He left the full bin outside laundry so that it could be sorted into separate piles and took another empty bin, preparing to fill it with dirty sheets and blankets from another floor when the cell phone rang.

Paul jumped to attention at the sudden sound and broke out into a cold sweat immediately. His hands shook as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it, calming his breathing as he ducked around the corner and flipped open the device and held it to his ear. Huddling over and cupping his hand over it so no one would see him, and trying to use his will to keep other members of the staff at bay.

"This is Paul, I did as I was told. Don't hurt my family." He said quickly, trying not to break down as he spoke. The voice on the other end laughed at his fear and stumbling speech and Paul did everything he could no to shout into the phone.

"The Four Horsemen are pleased. Dial the number in the phone and press send. You family will be safe." The man from a week ago said into the phone and disconnected. Paul held the phone in his hands and opened the contacts, sweat dripping from his hairline and down his back as he pressed send on the phone and heard nothing after that.

In the sub basement of the Royal London Hospital, four ammonium nitrate bombs detonated. Each triggered by the cell phone attached to them that chirped only once, sending electrical signals to the catalyst inside them, igniting hell on earth and breathing fire. No one on the first four floors felt anything as the fire immolated them in moments, thousand degree temperatures wiping out everything living. The organic and inorganic consumed as one as the fire spread upwards and out, creating devastation and ash. The shock wave damaging buildings for a one mile radius, and the sound waking The Queen from he slumber in Buckingham Palace as the windows near her bed shattered.

In hours, the survivors would overwhelm area hospitals and finger pointing would begin. For now however, seven other cities around the world were in the same panic as London, seven sites that were the start of the largest terrorist attack in the history of the world.

A single question on every person's mind as they glued themselves to news reports, huddled in the imagined safety of their homes.

Why?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The explosion in the distance made our table shake and people began to panic and look around. I watched the fireball stretch up into the sky and a secondary explosion from the same building rocked the city around us, windows burst at the blast and showered people with glass. I threw my arms up to protect my face and eyes thanks to instinct, and Loki covered my head with his arms Steve ducked and the world turned to chaos, people screamed and I shivered as I felt someone brush glass off of me. Loki put his hand on my arm as Steve turned the table back up and I blinked at Steve in surprise not knowing when our table had overturned, the phone in his pocket rang and he answered it. The din around us became louder as voices became more laced with panic as Steve talked into the phone quickly and looked at me. I turned back to Loki and he frowned as he looked at the sky and watched it fill with smoke and fire again.

"What is the Pentagon? This building that was of importance you spoke of?" Loki asked me over the noise and I pressed my lips together as I looked at him. He may not have known the importance of the building, but he knew that there was something about it that was the reason for it's being. His eyes returned to the smoke and he watched the chaos around us, glancing back down at me as he searched my face.

"It is the center of the Military in this Country. All the branches answer to the staff there, they may be cut off from communication now that the building is gone." I said and Loki looked at me with concern crossing his face. I began scratching nervously at the back of my hand, people in the Mall around us began flooding toward their cars, running and shoving eachother in their panic. We stayed seated and Loki looked at my hands, drawing my attention to my nervous tic as the waitress brought the folder with Steve's credit card back to us.

"Yes, they are both with me now. I can bring them in on this." Steve said and pushed the folder toward me to sign the slip and continued listening to the other person on the phone. I gave the waitress a nice tip and around the city, sirens wailed as responders started heading toward the building. I did my best to hold it together, but the noise and chaos was becoming too much for me. I watched as people ran, talking on phones, and some crying at what was being said to them. Faces filled with shock and anguish as they collected what information they could from the voices on the other side, I slipped my hands up over my ears and tried to block out the noise but it did not work.

My hands started shaking and I heard a woman scream the a hospital in London had blown up, another man shouted that the Eiffel Tower had just collapsed after being blown as well. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up CNN in the browser for information, I was greeted with an image of Seattle Center and the Space Needle collapsed and burning. I nearly cried as I read the preliminary reports on the attack and did my best to understand myself what was going on around us, what had happened to the world.

"Don't look if it is painful Little Mouse." Loki said and I darkened the screen. Steve stood up and looked toward the fire burning in the distance and put his phone back in his jacket pocket. I picked up the credit card as he looked around and climbed over the railing of the patio, motioning for me to follow him. I put my cell into my pocket with the credit card and handed Loki my shoes so I could step up and over the wrought iron divider without falling. Steve lifted me over the scattered glass and I slipped my feet into my heels while Loki gracefully climbed over and joined us. Mall Security began shouting that the center was closed and were working as a team to move people out of the area. Stores around us began to shutter up and close, their employees hurrying so they could get home.

"Fury is sending a transport to get us, my car is on the North side of the mall. This attack is bad, and it has all the earmarks of The Horsemen on it." Steve said as we moved through the crowd, I struggled to keep up with both men and Steve looked back at me with concern.

"He is going to have you try to contact them again. It will be completely controlled this time, no public outings at all and no chance of civilian causalities." Steve finished and I nearly fell forward when the heel of my shoe got caught in a grate. Loki put his arm out and caught me before I tumbled over and Steve stopped to extricate my shoe, I had to appreciate the man for not peeking up my skirt as he freed it. Security waited patiently for us before pushing forward with their closing, one waiting and looking a bit excited as he saw Steve stand up. Obviously a fan.

We began walking again and started through the parking lot as people rushed around us, cars filled and crowded all the exits as we did our best to avoid getting hit. No one was paying any attention to what was in front of them, and panic tended to make stupid people even stupider in the long run. Steve grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off my feet as a motorcycle sped by, nearly hitting me and Loki glared at the rider as the guy shot out into the street and left with a squeal of tire. Loki nodded to Steve and clapped him on the shoulder in gratitude.

"You O.K.?" Steve asked as he put me back down and I nodded at him, glancing in the direction the motorcyclist went and sighed.

"Yeah." I said and two cars skidded to a halt inches from colliding in front of us and I did my best not to roll my eyes, no one was paying much attention and I was actually afraid for my life at that point.

"Stay close to me." Loki said calmly and I nodded to him as we wove between the cars, following Steve as he opened a blue Jeep Wrangler and we climbed intro it. Steve's phone rang again and he answered it as I looked out the window at the growing cloud of smoke in the distance. People jammed the exits further and I watched a near fight break out over a minor fender bender, I reached up and tapped Steve's shoulder. He shifted and looked at me and I pointed at the chaos around us.

"We should sit tight, tell Fury this is a total mess out here and we are not going anywhere for a while. Do you have an apartment nearby we can go to for the night?" I said and Steve nodded to me in the rear view, relaying the message as I sat back in my seat and waited.

"That is a sound plan Little Mouse." Loki said, looking at the people around us as the panicked people ran back and forth and the first flakes of ash began to fall onto the windshield like snow. Steve disconnected the phone call and sat back in his seat, he looked frustrated and he rested his forehead in his hand as Loki and I sat with him in the car quietly. I reached forward and put my hand on his shoulder and he looked back at me and let out a long breath as he leaned against his door.

"It is bad Steve?" I asked him and he shifted again in his seat to look at both of us. He thought about how to soften the blow and I nodded, getting an answer to my own question from the look on his face.

"Yeah, it's bad. Seven sites all together, two of them hospitals. We probably will not know for at least a week what the numbers are." He said and I sighed, sitting back in my seat and looking out the window as I chewed my thumb. Loki looked at the both of us and rubbed the back of his neck, the silence filling the car and becoming heavy as the ash fell heavier. The only sounds in our space was fear and panic from the cars around us.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stephen popped the cork on the Champagne bottle as Adam and he watched the fruits of their labor play out in front of them. Both men laughed as the cell in front of Stephen rang and he looked down to see that it was Conquest. His real name was Gregori, but rarely real names were stored on electronic devices. You never knew who was watching them, and the greatest secrets were always locked in the human mind.

"Gregori! What a marvelous day, how are you my friend?" Stephen said as the man on the other end gave a hearty, deep laugh. He could picture the black haired Hungarian smiling and taking in the chaos created by them from the deck of the Rozsa. His flagship in his ownership, and the one he used the most for important deliveries and operations because it was the most reliable.

"I am well my friend, looks that Icarus is off to a great start." Gregori said, his accent slight but still pronounced. "Your cargo from Afghanistan is on way, it will be faster. But customs. You know the difficulties. The trial run was very successful, the trained men we put them against, all dead."

"I knew that my work would yield great results. I thank you for testing them and bringing them all back to me." Stephen said and smiled as Adam listened in on the conversation, viruses and genetic mutations had always been Stephen's playground. The complex lines of DNA that made up each organism a puzzle to be solved, every creation from his nurturing more terrible than the last. He was especially proud of his Prion Disease that reanimated the victim and continued the spread of the infection at a rapid pace, making it deadly and frightening at the same time.

"It was impressive. Once they feed, handlers have no problem getting them to cooperate. Do not get near one with hunger. Very nasty. For the handler." Gregori replied and laughed, his deep rumble jovial as Stephen listened intently. Stephen could not really stand the man, but his skills in human trafficking cam in very handy when he needed more test subjects for his viruses and for his creations. He could bring him multiple persons from other countries to use, and no one would ever miss them. He was especially helpful in this matter as well, he was very sure that Gregori would have no problems at all bringing his children back to him and their mother.

"Wonderful, please be sure to call me with your progress. I truly wish to move forward on schedule. Phase Two is in place, and when we are all done, Icarus will burn." Stephen said and smiled at Adam who sipped Champagne form the crystal stemware provided as the two men toasted their success.

"I will my friend. Right now we are ahead of schedule with the cargo. Have good evening." Gregori said and Stephen smiled wider.

"Smooth Travels." Stephen replied and disconnected the call, Adam sat back and studied him as he continued to smile to himself. His thoughts traveled to the next phase in their plan to continue to destabilize the world, it would cause more death in a wider scale, but sometimes you needed to break a few eggs to make an omelet. His thoughts traveled to her as he studied the bubbles in the drink, and the way the facets in the stemware caught the light.

"Do I get ta know what the cargo ye mentioned is?" Adam asked him and Stephen put his attention back on the screens in front of him, smiling as he watched a woman wail and tear at her clothes at the chaos she had just witnessed. Another image of a woman crying into a French flag, holding it in her fists as she wept. It all made him smile at the sight, reveling in the chaos that unfolded in front of them.

"I will let you see for yourself soon my friend." Stephen replied and took a sip from his glass. "Famine will arrive before the cargo and Conquest does, and you will both see my newest creation. I am so very proud of them, and I am sure you will be surprised as well, they are beautiful and truly horrible."

"I am sure ye will impress us with all this." Adam said and both men watched as cracks formed in society as the world burned in front of them, both men looking at the screens together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took them two hours to get out of the parking lot at the open market, and another hour because of road closures to find their way to Rogers apartment. The entire time, Loki kept glancing into the back seat to see if Lilliana was doing well. She stared out her window quietly, watching everything as they passed by it, she was not really focusing on any one thing and her face was drawn with worry. The fingertips of one hand fiddling with the hem of her skirt nervously as the ashes from the burning building continued to fall outside the vehicle. Her mind was already fractured from everything she was exposed to already, what would happen if she were forced further into another battle, would she be able to come through it?

The news reports over the radio on the disaster were very hard to follow, and Rogers chose to turn the device completely off as the man tried his best to remain calm. He did not know of the seven places Rogers, Lilliana, and the people on the radio spoke of, the only one he was relatively familiar with was the Space Needle and that was only because she had taken him there once a few years ago in an attempt to flee arrest. His anger flared at the loss of the building that he found fascinating in construction, and he nearly let his rage boil over when they mentioned the two places of healing that were destroyed. The shocked gasp from Lilliana told him further how truly terrible it all was, his eyes turning back to her as she put a hand to her mouth. Rogers looked pained as he listened to the people talking, and even their collected voices sounded strained with emotion. His eyes went back to her as she covered her mouth and shook her head in denial of everything she was hearing, stopping when Rogers pushed a button on the radio to silence it.

"You can sleep on my bed tonight Lilly, Loki and I will take the couches in the front room." Rogers said, pulling her out of her worry and she turned her head and gave a weak smile.

"It is your place Steve, I can take a couch. I am so short, I could probably fit in a chair or a shoe box if you have one." She replied and Loki gave a sad smile at her attempt at humor, Rogers gave a polite laugh and focused ahead again.

"I insist, and you are probably going to need the sleep anyways. You look tired already." Rogers said and Loki agreed with him by nodding. "I will have to find you something to sleep in though. I think I have some shorts and a shirt you can use."

"Steve..." She started, but Loki cut her off and looked back at her with a soft smile, she put her thumb back into her mouth and chewed at it, returning to looking out her window.

"That is good of you Rogers. It will be more comfortable for her to rest in relative quiet." Loki said as a Police motorcycle drove past them with sirens and lights blaring, the combination of sound and light irritated him and he closed his eyes briefly as the uniformed man had to use the siren to move cars out of the way. The van blocking him was unable to move, and he had to use a siren to get them to finally move to the side and let him pass. Steve let out an annoyed sound, and Lilliana just squinted at the scene.

"Thank you Steve." She said quietly as she looked back out her window. She looked so small as she sat back there, alone and in her own mind. Her fingers were fidgeting more as she stared at the car next to her, not really seeing it but looking at it nonetheless. She shifted and crossed her ankles politely, the small heeled shoes looking wonderful on her and he let himself smile at her. Her hands began looking for something new to do again when she shivered and shifted in the seat again, she looked back to the front and watched the motorcycle move around the van and further down the road. She looked anxious, and he could understand the reason behind her fears, so much chaos and horror occurring at once, he was impressed that she did not crumple under the pressure.

"Is it much further?" Loki asked Rogers, breaking the silence and the man looked in the rear view mirror at her, pressing his lips into a thin line as he studied the image reflected back at him.

"No. A couple more blocks, we could walk it but we would just make traffic worse by leaving the Jeep here." Steve said and looked at Loki. "This is worse than anything in the past, way worse. Fury says that we may need you both on this, he is calling in everyone he can right now. Tony is coming on board, and Clint and Natasha are picking up a few more. New people for you guys to meet too, we have a new Agent and Lilly may like her."

"We will do what we can." Loki replied and looked back at Lilliana again, worrying about her in general. The strain she was feeling now was starting to show on her, he hoped it would not be like the last time and feared it would. He hated the men who caused this, and wanted to punish them in the most horrible ways he could think about. Death like this was inexcusable, a horrific waste to create such suffering.

"There is no easy way to put this, Fury is angry that this happened on his watch. He is demanding answers and the people above him are demanding even more. On top of that, there is something coming out of the Middle East, a platoon was attacked with only two survivors left. Something about it being bizarre raised Fury's interest and he was investigating it when all this happened. The whole world is falling apart. Rogers said and rolled down his window to punch a code into a panel to raise a mechanical door built into a building. Lilliana made a pained sound as they drove forward into the structure and Steve slammed on the brakes, looking back at her wild eyed and apologetic. She clawed at the door next to her and whimpered again, trying to escape the space around her.

"I forgot! I'm sorry!" Rogers said and she looked forward as the two of them, Loki got out of the vehicle and walked around to hers calmly. He opened the door and helped her out as she looked into the underground structure, shivering and moving toward the roll down door that was descending. He held her fast, fearing that she would be struck by the heavy steel door and stepped back from the vehicle as she shivered.

"There is a lobby around front, I will meet you both there and let you in that way. I am really sorry!" Rogers said as Loki led Lilliana out the door near the mechanical one and they stood on the sidewalk for several moments while she collected herself.

"It is getting worse, you were able to handle a structure like that once." Loki said and she looked at him, her shaking stopped and she nodded.

"I'm O.K. I just did not expect it, if I had warning I would not have freaked." She said and shook, ashes from the fires fell into her hair from above and she looked around like a scared animal. He put his arm around her and they both walked around the stonework building to the front and waited at a set of glass doors for Rogers to arrive.

"I do need to get this under control." She said as he gave her a reassuring squeeze. He moved her back under the awning over the doors and carefully brushed the ashes from her clothes and hair. He watched the slow moving traffic that passed them for any signs of threat, and waited as Lilliana watched the doors.

"Some things cannot be helped." Loki said and they waited.

"I'm sorry still." She replied and Loki turned to look at her, she stepped back and leaned against a planter with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked so very fragile in that moment and he stepped closer to her, removing his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders. A tap on the glass made them both jump and look, Steve opened the door and Loki put her in front of him as they walked into the lobby.

"Sorry it took so long, someone crowded the elevators. I guess we have a move in today." Steve said and led them both to the stairwells. "I am sorry again Lilly, I should have warned you. I forgot with everything happening today."

"It's O.K. Steve." She replied and hugged him. "I wasn't paying attention myself."

"Bad news now I am on the eighth floor. You sure you don't want to try the elevator?" Steve said and she rolled her eyes as she frowned at Rogers statement. She slipped off her shoes and opened the stairwell door, annoyance crossing her face as she began climbing the stairs.

"I should make you carry me Steve, it would serve you right for even thinking about making about me getting into one of those coffins." Lilliana shot at him as she climbed the stairs ahead of them, shoving her shoes into his chest as she moved. Loki followed her and Steve took up the rear, shifting her small shoes into one hand and groaned. She slipped her arms into Loki's coat sleeves and smiled as she powered up the first three floors, her determination guiding her forward as she moved. They had just started up the fourth floor when the lights suddenly cut out, plunging them into darkness.

"Shit." Lilliana said as Loki heard her stumble in the darkness and he reached out ahead of him for her, she was standing still and his hand found her hip as they waited. She slapped at the hand, and he chuckled.

"That is my hand." Loki said and she laughed, he knew her reaction was perfectly reasonable and he felt her hand close around his.

"Looks like someone hit a pole of the fire cut a line somewhere." Rogers said in the dark and faint yellow emergency lights came on around them, filling the stairwell in a jaundiced yellow hue that made them all look sickly. They waited to see if they would stay on and the three of them used the pause to catch their breaths.

"Are you hurt?" Loki asked her and she shook her head to indicate no, he pressed his lips together and she sighed at him. She threw her arms out, and spun on her step, turning to look back up the stairwell.

"I bumped my shin, I will be fine." She said and put both her hands on the railing. "I hope you have some candles Steve. We don't know when any of this is coming back on. It really does not take much for the world to fall apart."

Loki moved around her and began climbing ahead of Lilliana as she followed him, ascending at a slower pace from the dimmer light. Somewhere around the seventh floor she stopped to put her shoes back on, and to rest again. Rogers took the lead and opened a door, looking out into the hall before letting her pass him and leading them to the end of the hallway and to a door that he unlocked.

Lilliana walked into the dim apartment and slipped off Loki's suit jacket, returning it to him. He put it back on as she looked out a window and searched the street around the building, shaking her head nervously at what she saw. The ash had slowed, but particles of it fell still, no amount of cover could protect this planet from the horrors of the day but it helped a bit. It was like fate was hiding the truth from the people, nervous that they could not handle the scale of the tragedy so it remained hidden from sight.

"The whole block is out." She said to Rogers and he looked through cabinets, handing Loki sever glass encased candles as he opened the drawers and looked through them.

"I figured that much. I thought I had a book of matches around here somewhere, I can't find it." Steve said and handed her a couple candles, she juggled them in her arms and pulled the lid off of one and smelled the fragrant wax inside after reading the label.

"Steve." She replied and held the jar in her hand, making a flame at the end of her finger as she smiled at him. She touched the wick and her face lit up with a warm glow form the candle in her hands. Loki chuckled as she handed the jar to Rogers and she shot him a look that told him to be polite. She still looked drawn and in shock, her face calmer though now that they were inside and away from the streets and panic below.

"I forgot that you could do that too." He said as she took another jar from him and lit the wick within it, smiling at him as she smelled that candle and read the label attached to it.

"It is easy when you look normal on the outside I guess. You guys put them where you want them, I will keep lighting." She said and looked sad at her own statement, she may not like what she was but she was such an amazing creature to him.

"When we are done, I will find you some clothes and show you where the bedroom is, you don't have to wait on us if you get tired later." Steve said as she lit another candle and smiled at him politely, outside the ash fell again as smoke carried on the air creating a haze that hid the city from them all. The world he stood on, the one he wanted to rule once upon a time began to mourn.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

I sat on the couch and rubbed my face as Loki and Steve both let out long breaths in the quiet, Loki sat next to me and Steve sat in a comfy looking recliner as the three of us looked out the window at the red orange glow in the distance. I checked my phone for news and everything looked very grim, every news agency was calling it an act of war and everyone was only speculating on the rhyme and reason. Fury was right when he said that bombs were detonated at seven sites around the world. Los Angeles and London were both hit when Cedar Sinai and the Royal London Hospital went up, the death count was still being tallied both places and the shock from those alone were still fresh. The Pentagon was a total loss, as well as the Liberty Bell, The Eiffel Tower, The Space Needle, and the Statue of Liberty.

All the targets were symbols or places of comfort, be them pillars of freedom and buildings that were landmarks or places of healing. They were attacked and no one knew why they were chosen, what force deemed them enough of a target to choose them. All we knew was that lives were ripped from the world in a blinding flash, and then the world went silent as we all mourned the lost. Governments scrambled and shut down airports and ordered places where people would gather en masse to be closed, the priorities shifted from commerce and trade to keeping people safe and unharmed. Echoes of the silent skies after 9-11 were used to compare the magnitude of the shutdown, but nothing came close to what we had just witnessed. Congress, the Senate, and Houses of Parliament were evacuated and now were silent, the leaders of the world afraid to risk their council and with good reason. The world changed in moments, and would never be the same again.

It was just so damn quiet, too quiet even. As if the the entire world was holding it's breath and afraid to let it out.

Every nation of the world was scared, and everyone was asking the same questions over and over again. Who did this? Why did they do it? How could anyone be so filled with hate? No one had the answers though so factions across the world formed, and fear spread like wildfire. Everyone was so ready to point fingers and lay blame on others, that we forgot that we were all affected at the same time.

I slipped off my shoes and tucked my feet under me on the couch, leaning against Loki and feeling scared. He put his arm around my shoulders and I stayed very still, looking out the window and trying to piece together the how and the why of this attack myself. Finding no answer in my thoughts and feeling sad I couldn't find one.

"What are we going to do? I asked and Steve looked at me and let out a long breath.

"What we always do, we are going to look for who did this and make them pay for it." Steve said and I looked over at him, wondering if he was really ready to go back into the fray for another round. I sure as hell wasn't and I was starting to wonder if Loki and I should just jump ship.

"At what cost? How many more are going to die in this round?" I said and Steve looked at me and shrugged, his face sad as I watched him. I started to envy those normal people out there who could just hide in their homes and shutter up the windows, they had no idea what we were running toward and they never would. Their lives were so much more simple than ours, we hunted the monsters and they hid from them.

"I don't know. I wish I could say, but this is different. I guess we will have to find that out for ourselves." Steve replied and I saw Loki look at him patiently. His arm tightened around me and I tried to snuggle deeper into my living safety net.

"What if it was not the Four Horsemen?" Loki said and Steve nodded, thinking over the question and raising his eyebrows. Loki was right on that point, no one had come forward yet to claim responsibility, usually some group out there was right there on the television and internet. Claiming responsibility for the whole sale slaughter of the innocents.

"We will track them down then. Lilly is really smart and can probably find out who did it with a computer like last time." He said and I shook my head violently, I was not about to risk lives again to prove I was right and the idea of that made me sick.

"Only in a controlled situation." I said and looked back out the window, trying to pretend the falling ash was snow, the alternative was too horrible for me to think of. I could not tell if it was a trick of my mind, but I thought I saw the glow in the distance begin to fade. I squinted a bit and did not see much more in a perceptible change in the hues. I wanted the fires out and the people saved, I wanted the building to come back, most of all I just wanted sanity to reign supreme again.

"That is what Director Fury suggested. I think we all want to avoid what happened last time. We are going to a secure location off the coast, with armed Agents, nothing can touch us out there and we will find them from there." Steve said and I rolled my eyes at him, ignoring the second part and feeling irritated.

"I am still struggling to forget that jerk." I quipped and Loki snorted. "Right now though, I am trying to figure out how a guy like you has so many scented candles in their apartment."

Loki and I both looked at him and Steve put both his hands over his face and groaned into them, I waited for his response and he let out a breath and scratched his head. He looked embarrassed and smiled in a wistful way.

"I was trying to impress a girl, she was pretty and I may have gone a bit overboard." Steve said and both Loki and I looked at him. "She worked at the store."

"Did it work out to your benefit?" Loki asked and I giggled a bit, Steve took in a long breath and shook his head.

"In the event the power goes out, I am very prepared." Steve said and I laughed into my hand as he let out a long breath, staring at me for laughing and I did my best to calm back down.

"Was she blind? I can't believe you struck out." I said and even Loki looked incredulous at the statement. Steve tucked his arm behind his head and stretched a bit as he smiled at the both of us, not hiding that he was enjoying making me laugh. It may not have been a bad thing to laugh a bit too, but I still felt bad for teasing him a bit.

"No, she was married." He said and I laughed harder at him. "Next time I am going to try the library thing."

"Library thing?" Loki asked and looked at me, I shrugged and blushed. I hid a yawn behind my hand and giggled as I looked up at him, he raised an eyebrow at me and I giggled.

"Guys who read are sexy." I said and Loki laughed. Steve took in a long breath and I shifted again, looking for a more comfortable position as our attention returned to the window. I was wearing out, but I did not want to be alone in the strange apartment. Especially with everything that happened today too, I had an irrational fear that someone was going to kick in the door and grab me.

"Get the dog too Steve, something friendly. A Golden Retriever is perfect for that, and it shows you have a cute, sensitive side." I said, breaking the silence and trying to take my mind off my fears.

"Does it work?" Steve asked me and I gave him a smile and he nodded as he relaxed into the chair more.

"It does." I said and yawned again into my hand, they both caught me that time and I tried to shift to a different position.

"You can got curl up in the bedroom if you want, we can occupy ourselves if you need some sleep." Steve said and I shook my head, no way was I closing my eyes. Not only were the nightmares getting worse, I felt more secure with the guys in this room and I was scared of showing Steve how bad I was getting. On top of that, I was still hunted and Loki was keeping me hidden from everyone out there who wanted to use or kill me. How many of those beings knew where Loki and I were, and would they come after us? I wanted to stay close to the two guys who would not let anything happen to me, and I was pretty much the same way when it came to the both of them.

"Just a bit longer," I said and sighed. "I have a hard time sleeping in strange places anyways."

"Suit yourself, but the offer is open if you want to stretch out and close your eyes." Steve said and Loki rested his hand on my hip and I lay against him, my eye lids drooping as I looked out the window again.

"Thanks Steve." I said and shifted again. My hip was in a weird position and my foot was tingly. Loki tolerated my movement and I looked up at him as his eyes focused out the window, I wanted to ask him if he was O.K. But decided to leave him alone. He already put up with enough of my stupid questions about us and our relationship, I was pretty sure he did not need me nagging him about his current thought process. His hand rubbed my hip ans I settled back into his side and did my best to not cry for everyone lost, I would mourn them all later.

"All of those souls lost." Loki said and I looked out the window, and let out a long breath as I tried to wrap my brain around the loss myself.

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I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up on Steve's bed and stretched. The morning light was diffused and head a golden glow to it from all the ash and soot in the air, it would probably take a good rainstorm to clear it all out. Everything smelled like smoke, and I did my best to just pretend the golden light was warm and safe and not filled with death and pain. I looked out the window as I lay against the pillows and looked out at the hazy sky, birds flew in circles and landed to rest on the building across the way before taking off again. Their world confused and the scent in the air making them fearful for the fire they could not see but could smell.

I sat up and let my feet hang over the side of the bed, stretching again as I yawned away the last of sleep and cleared my head. I stood up and walked out into the front room, changing course for the small kitchen where I found a clean glass in a cupboard and filled it with water. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and the credit card fell to the ground. I picked it up and put it on the table next to Steve's keys and wallet, noticing that both men were still asleep on the couches. I smiled at them and scrolled through news reports and tested the lights to see if the power was back on and got a negative on the electricity situation.

Sipping the water as I walked, I continued to scroll through the news reports. Everything was still just speculation and no one had any real answers at that time, I did not expect anyone to really know anything anyways. No one had come forward to claim responsibility, and it was too early for any Government Agencies to have a positive lead on anything currently. It was just another guessing game as the world came back to life and began picking up the pieces, and we started to recover from the shock.

I closed out the browser in my phone and slipped in into my pocket as I walked over to the window and looked out on the morning. The streets were strangely quiet and empty, it was almost reminiscent of the day after the World Trade Center attack. Whole cities became ghost towns as the world briefly shut down to mourn those lost, and to mourn the world we once knew. Saying goodbye to the familiar past and opening the doors to the unknown future.

I finished my water and turned on my toes to put the glass back in the kitchen and froze. In Steve's chair, a man in a gray suit with a striped blue tie sat calmly, watching me with a smile on his face. He was rounder faced, and his close cropped light brown hair was neat and he regarded me with interest as I stood still and my heart pounded in my chest. He was not predatory in his demeanor at all, but everything about him screamed that he was dangerous.

"Good Morning Ms. Hawthorne." He said politely and smiled at me. I looked at Loki and Steve, still asleep and unaware of the intrusion and made a split second decision. I did what any logically thinking woman would do when faced with any danger.

I screamed.

Steve and Loki both shot up as I threw the glass at the man and distracted him long enough for both men to realize that there was an intruder. Loki stood quickly, putting himself between me and the man, staring him down as he pulled a knife. I formed a ball of fire in my hand, and was ready if the guy even flinched the wrong way. Steve dove over the back of the couch and was ready to fight when everyone except for me, relaxed suddenly.

Steve rubbed his face as he looked at the seated man and leaned forward against the back of the couch, he took several deep breaths and shook his head as he laughed to himself. I let the fire dissipate in my hand, Loki put the knife away and I rolled my eyes as I looked around at everyone. The guy in the chair did not even move, he just looked at all of us amused and smiling at us.

"Where do women learn how to scream like that?" Steve said and let out another breath. "I almost had a heart attack there. Hello Phil."

"Steve." Phil said and Loki crossed his arms as he stared down the man.

"Didn't I kill you?" Loki asked and I looked up at him in shock, I tried to ignore the fact that he may have killed this guy and now he was back from the dead.

"It didn't stick, sorry to startle you Ms. Hawthorne." Phil said to me and I nodded at him, not taking my eyes off the man and wondering if I should trust him. This guy did basically do a B and E on us, and who knows what kind of grudge he held against Loki.

"Startled it the understatement of the century. My sixth sense just so happens to be Anxiety, not a good thing at all to sneak up on me. Just some advice there Phil." I said and the man nodded at me, I looked up at Loki again and he sighed. The look on my face must have said it all and he rolled his eyes, starting to explain himself before I got mad.

"I stabbed him in the back, and it was an attempt to kill the man. It was a long time ago, and as you see he is quite well." Loki said and I sighed at him, crossing my arms as I faced him.

"Remember how I told you about douche things to do to people? That is so one of them, and people tend to hold a grudge against you for doing shit like that. Tell him you are sorry for trying to kill him." I said and Loki rolled his eyes ad Phil laughed at the scene, I crossed my arms and looked at him. I turned back to Loki and he looked back at me and put up a finger, I rolled my eyes and I tapped my stocking clad foot on the ground and gave him an expectant look.

"In my defense, he did shoot me through a wall, we are even." Loki said and I rolled my eyes at him and continued to do the girl stance of not budging. My wild boob wielding powers were great, I used them often and even Loki could not resist the powers of my femininity.

"I like her." Phil said as he stood up and extended his hand to me, I took it and his grip was firm. "Phil Coulson. Nice to finally meet you Ms. Hawthorne."

"Call me Lilly, everyone else does when they are not giving me cute nicknames based on how short I am. Sorry about the awkward screaming." I said back and he smiled pleasantly at me, Steve looked around the apartment briefly and shook his head again.

"No it was effective, and I appreciate you not blowing me up, I read your file." Phil said and I groaned and looked at him with open annoyance.

"Is there anyone who has not read my file? Seriously, I would like to introduce myself one day without having to explain my past." I said and threw my hands up and crossed my arms. Loki closed his eyes and took in a long breath, waiting for me to finish having my moment.

"I haven't." Steve said and I looked over at him. "Why did you break in Phil, knocking works just fine."

"I did knock, no one answered. Your door was unlocked too." Phil said and both Loki and I looked at Steve at the same time using the Asgardian look of failure. He shrugged and looked back at us apologetically.

"The Norse God of Silent Disapproval is looking in your direction." I said and looked around the room for my shoes, leaning over to look under a side table near the couches.

"Sorry." Steve said and I picked up one of my shoes, looking around the room for the other one. I looked over at Phil and waved the single heel at him and he lifted a blanket that Steve had been using to see if he could find it. Sometimes having small feet was a curse, sometimes I debating just tying strings between my shoes so I could find them again.

"Does Fury know, or even have any idea behind who launched the attack?" I asked as Steve held up my other shoe and I grabbed it from, balancing myself carefully as I slipped my feet into them and put myself together.

"Fury has several working theories, he is hoping that you may be able to narrow down that list. Right now he is calling everyone he can in, we need more hands than we currently have. Tony is in route from New York, Clint and Natasha are returning from finding Banner, and our new Avenger is waiting at the Base of Operations. I was sent to get the three of you, any chance Thor may be able to help?" Phil said and I shook my head.

"His father grounded him right now. I don't think he is allowed to play with his friends, so it look like we are it." I said and Loki laughed behind me. I looked at him and he smoothed his shirt and tie as he crossed his arms, I turned back to Phil and rubbed the back of my neck. I smoothed my hair with my fingers and I thought about everything, and wondered if I was really up for all this again.

"I really don't know how much help I will be right now. I am still recovering from the last Big Bad we faced, are you sure Fury asked for us?" I said and Loki looked at me as Phil gave me a small smile.

"He said he wanted you especially. Director Fury believes that you may have a few skills that are necessary to tracking down the person or persons responsible. He said also that you were the first to make any form of contact with one of the suspected groups. Whether you like it or not, you are in this with us Ms. Hawthorne." Phil said and I let out a long breath and looked down. I could smell the smoke outside the building again and I wondered if I was doing the right thing by staying and helping, what if my being here would just cause them to act out more on their dangerous game. I couldn't live with the consequences of that, the guilt alone would be the factor that would hurt the most. I should be back in Asgard, working on getting in touch with my feelings for Sam. Maybe even picking flowers out for the ceremony or talking with Odin about Philosophy, not here as about to go back into war like a pawn on a chess board. I was not up for any of this, and I was not sure if I ever would be.

"I have really got to stop coming back to Earth." I said and Steve looked at me, straightening up and crossing his arms. "I know I told Fury I would come back, but things have changed for me. I have a lot going on, and a lot to keep me out of fights like this. I don't know if I am even in the right head space for any of this."

"Can you try to be in the right frame of mind?" Steve asked me and I frowned. "You will not be facing this alone, we will all be there with you."

I turned and looked out the window at the street below us and sighed, I wanted out of this shit and something always pulled me back.

"I am guessing I do not have much of a choice anymore. When this is over, I want more than a hot bath and a bottle of wine." I said and turned back to Phil, Steve and Loki both looked at me and waited. I mentally compiled my list of stuff I wanted, and grinned to myself.

"Smithsonian?" Steve said and I grinned at him, waving my finger.

"You bet your star-spangled ass." I said. "And a full spa day. I want to do that thing where they wrap you in kelp and then get my toenails painted. I want one of those hot stone massages, and a shopping spree at a bookstore. After that I want a night at the Opera at The Met, and I expect a limo to pick me up."

"That can all be arranged." Phil said and I grinned at him, nodding my head and smiling to myself at my small, yet expensive victory.

"You see Rogers, women are easy to charm." Loki said and I put up a finger in warning.

"Not necessarily Steve, he forgot to mention how much I make him work for me. Start with the dog and I will keep giving you pointers later." I said and Phil cracked a smile at my statement, he then looked at Loki who smiled smugly and crossed his arms. I turned my attention back to Phil and looked at him calmly, moving around the coffee table as I walked.

"Well gentlemen, I am going to guess that we should get moving. And the power is still out, so we have a lot of stairs to walk down. Maybe we should get going while traffic is light? And Steve, don't forget to lock your door again. It is a bad neighborhood." I said and Phil grabbed my arm before I could walk top the door, I looked at him nervously and he let go of it and smiled a silent apology.

"There are agents in the hall ordered to shoot anyone who opens the door that is not me." Phil said and I nodded at him and felt exasperation creep in to my brain and get settled.

"Trust Issues much Phil?" I snapped at him and he nodded toward Loki, who stood quietly as he looked out the window. Studying the horizon over the rooftops across the street, his stormy blue eyes taking in all the information they could. I rolled my eyes and repressed a snarky comment, seeing as how Loki tried to kill the man in the past.

"Not with you in particular." Phil said shortly and he adjusted his tie and put on a pair of mirrored sunglasses at he looked the the coat rack on the wall, He looked through the garments and looked back at me, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and scrolling as he paused. He shuffled through the sweaters and jackets again and I waited, not entirely sure what he was doing.

"They are in route, Ms. Hawthorne has a list of things she would like. I will text it to you in route as well as the equipment she will need for Deep Web Access." Phil said and hung up the phone, slipping it back into his pocket. "It is cold out there this morning, do you have a coat?"

"No. It was warm when we arrived. And for the record, regarding Loki trying to kill you. If at first you don't succeed, it's technically called attempted murder." I snapped at Phil and I heard Steve groan as Loki chuckled low. Phil gave a thin smile to me and took in a long breath through his nose, shaking his head he chuckled to himself.

"She can borrow one of mine." Steve said and groaned again. "I got to visit the head before we leave, and yes Phil, she is like this all the time. But we all like her, so we let Lilly just be Lilly."

Steve walked around the room and into the bedroom, we heard the bathroom door close and I walked around the room myself, pacing and blowing out candles as I moved. I mentally made wishes that I knew would never come true as each flame went out, trying not to shiver as I thought about the last twenty four hours. Phil and Loki watched me and I looked out the window toward the place on the horizon where smoke still rose into the sky. I crossed my arms and knew it would still be days before all the burning pockets of rubble would be put out, and months before any semblance of recovery would be started, even years before anything close to normalcy would begin to seep back into society. Around the world, the same work was playing out, first responders working tirelessly to save who they could. Digging through the remains of fallen concrete and twisted support steel, searching for hope and digging for answers where there was very little of each to be found.

"Ammonia Nitrate." I said and Phil shifted on his feet as he looked at me, the question on his face evident as I turned back around and pressed my lips together. A random memory of months ago coming back to me, a dark where house in Florida and a terrifying juggernaut that stared me down as I talked to Death over a cell phone alone.

"If the bombs were made using Ammonia Nitrogen, then it was the Horsemen. The where house in Florida that blew during our sweep, the bomb had barrels of the chemical linked to a remote detonator. It is a damn strong explosive, if you remember Oklahoma City, that one was parked on the street outside the Federal Building, and it nearly brought the whole building down. You can test the rubble near the actual explosive site for traces of the chemicals. The Horsemen will want to sign their work, they will want us to work to see their signature though." I said and Phil looked at me impressed as my assessment. I just felt weird and freakish for knowing so much about terrorism, but it came with the job now a days.

"I will have the Forensics Team start taking samples for testing. It is going to take some time though, everything is still too hot to get any clues. Not many people would make that connection, it is loose at best, but it will give us something to look for." Phil said and I nodded my head and rubbed my eyes, the smoke and crap in the air was making them burn and I had a feeling the next time that I blew my nose was going to be really nasty.

"I talked to Death, he seems to be their leader of sorts. He strikes me as the kind of person who wants the recognition for his work, this guy is way too proud of himself and has too huge an ego for anything less. He called the virus he made his child, he talked about it like it was the greatest thing he ever accomplished. He would want us to know that it was his hand in this." I said and looked back out the window, Loki put his hand on my back as I watched Plumes of smoke trail into the sky.

"Do you believe that this is only the beginning of something worse?" Phil asked and I continued to stare out past the smoke, thinking of how to best answer his question without sounding like I was a total psychopath. I already proved that I had a working knowledge of explosives, why make it absolutely worse at this point.

"I think this is bread crumbs, they are leaving a trail to show us through the woods and the cabin they are leading us to is not made of sweets." I said and Loki slipped the hand on my back up to my shoulder, concern crossed his face and I let out a long breath and let it out slowly.

"Prometheus was chained to a rock for giving humans forbidden knowledge, a certain thing denied to mankind by the Gods. That forbidden knowledge was fire, this was a message for all of us. Death wants Prometheus to come looking for him again, he wants to punish SHIELD for finding him. There is more to all of this than I want to think about right now, the wounds are still too fresh in my head." I said and I sighed. More blood was on someones hands thanks to mankind's arrogance and I looked at Phil. Steve walked back into the room, his hair neatly combed and he put on his battered bomber jacket. He picked up his keys and wallet, looking at the credit card and looked at me, nodding a silent thanks for grabbing it when I did and I smiled back at him. He shifted through the coat hooks and pulled a black wool coat off of a peg and handed it to me.

"Maybe then, Death should be afraid." Loki said and we all looked at him. "Because we are now hunting him."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Strait of Gibraltar. Now.

Gregori was tired of the howls coming form the cargo bay, every time they got hungry they started and increased in ferocity until they were given notice and eventual satisfaction. The creatures knew that it was feeding time and the howls were increasing in pitch as the moment drew closer, he put his earplugs in and sipped the tea from his travel mug as he looked at the locked hatch with dread. The cow was lead across the darkened walkway and lifted its hooves nervously at the horrid sounds that echoed through the chamber. Thank God that the monsters on the other side of the steel reinforced bulkhead door only had to be fed once every few days, he did not think he could handle the horrifying howls and shrieks every day until they arrived at their destination.

The two men opened the heavy door and shined their lights in on the thin, leather-skinned creatures. All twelve of them moved to the back of the room and looked at the cow with hungry ice blue eyes. Their teeth clicking together in hunger as they saw the two men move the cow into the room, twin fangs in the center of their mouths descended as they looked at the animal. One howled in anticipation of the feed to come and the animal tired to pull back in instinctual fear, pulling one of the handlers off his feet and making him stumble across the steel floor.

"Naughty!" Gregori shouted at the creature and pressed the button on the cattle prod to his side. The threat enough to make the animal cringe back in supplication, holding its clawed hands over its head as it cowered away from him in learned fear. They knew the punishment if they stepped out of line, and the repercussions for killing or attacking a handler. There was a good reason why there were twelve of them and not fifteen as when they originally started on their travels. He smiled at the obedience and the two men regained control over the cow and fed the rope around its neck through a tie down welded into the floor, tying it off as the creatures began to drool thick ropes of saliva. Their eyes locked on their prey and one hissed in excitement, their starved eyes not leaving their bovine victim as they watched it closely. The helpless animal pulled at its restraint and Gregori put up a hand and whistled through his teeth to get their attention drawn to him.

"No feeding until we lock door!" Gregori warned and the creatures bobbed animal like, bouncing on taloned feet as he waited. The two men behind him left the room and he followed them, backing toward the door as he moved slowly and calmly. The creatures were obedient, but still had animal instincts hardwired into them from their DNA. If he turned his back on them, Gregori risked becoming prey, and he had every intention of not becoming that.

The creatures waited, hungry blue eyes locked on the terrified animal as he stepped over the threshold and the door was closed and sealed. The locks sliding into place with the sound of steel scraping against steel. The immediate sounds within the room were horrifying as howls joined the shrieks of the dying cow, the two men cringed as they flinched at the sounds. Both shrinking back at their imaginations ran wild with the slaughter in the room, a fate that could easily be theirs if they made one small mistake during feeding time.

Gregori turned and walked away form the bulkhead door, waiting until he put distance between himself and the room before removing the earplugs. He ascended a narrow set of steel stairs and stepped out onto the deck of the ship, folding his hands behind his back as he looked up at the moon. The cold ocean air cutting through his dark blue velour track suit as he closed his eyes briefly and enjoyed the fresh air. He thought about throwing a Fragmentation Grenade into the room with the monsters more than once, ending this nightmare before it went on any further. The threat of reprisal from Stephen was too much though, so he could only hope they would arrive in New York early. Then he could be free of the cargo that terrified him, then he could go back the his comfortable life in Hungary. Far away from the monsters, and even further away from Stephen Johanisson and his big dreams of becoming king of this pointless world.

A howl echoed throughout the ship and Gregori shivered at the sound, never taking his brown eyes off the full moon above him.

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Phil Coulson and his Agents drove the three of us to an open field outside Langley, where we were ushered onto a helicopter and flown toward the ocean. I wrapped Steve's over sized coat around myself and neatly pulled the hem of my dress down over my knees, trying desperately to not look too feminine around all the heavy boots and guns. Phil looked at me with a pleasant smile as I looked out over the gray waters of the Atlantic Ocean, watching the swells rise and fall beneath us.

"Are you afraid of flying Ms. Hawthorne?" Phil asked me and I let out a breath in a slight huff at his statement. I rolled my eyes and threw on some extra sass to show him he was being a jerk and he smiled back at me wider, shaking his head with a soft laugh.

"No, I'm not afraid of flying. I am just afraid of landing in an unexpectedly hard way." I said and Loki gave a snort of amusement at my response. Steve laughed to himself and I returned to looking out the window next to me, studying the waves and noticing a structure growing in size as we approached it.

On the horizon, a ship appeared that was larger than any aircraft carrier I had ever seen. The monster vessel was a floating city, and I felt downright tiny as it grew larger as we approached it. A jet screamed past us and another approached from the South, both landing on the deck as our pilot did a flyover of the massive structure. I saw Tony on the helipad with fury and Bruce as we began to descend. A sudden updraft caused the helicopter to tilt to the side and I reached out for both Steve and Loki, Phil grinned at me and I pinched my lips together and glared at him.

"Chinooks are bigger." I said to Phil as we set down and the Flight Crew members came forward and opened the doors for us as the rotors powered down.

"They are also more prone to in-flight mechanical failures." Phil said calmly as he stepped out of the craft and extended his hand to me. Smiling at me in his way too polite way that hid the killer he was, almost friendly but with a tinge of danger in it.

"Now someone tells me." I said and took Phil's offered hand and stepped carefully onto the pad, Loki's hand wrapped around my other arm as a jet shot over and I jumped and ducked from the sudden sound, startled into looking up as my ankle wobbled and I had to brace myself to stay upright. I looked over and saw Tony hold his arms out as he walked up, a wide grin on his face as I stepped forward and met him halfway.

"Good to see you again Princess." Tony said into my ear, calling me the only nickname that did not make fun of how short I was and I returned the hug. Smiling into his suit as he patted my back and I nearly started crying knowing the reason I was back, knowing that this was my life now and I had to accept it.

"I just wish it was a social call Tin Man." I replied and he laughed, the sound nice, even if it was sad.

"We are going to stop letting you on the planet if everything blows up every time you visit us." Tony said and I rolled my eyes at him as we walked, Bruce waked forward and gave me a hug and waved to Loki and Steve.

"Hi Lilly." Bruce said and I could sense the stress coming off of him. He was pulled away from what he truly loved doing to clean up another mess, to pull the Big Guy out of hibernation and I felt bad for him. His life's calling interrupted to come fight another bad guy, his own personal demon needed more than him.

"Ms. Hawthorne, Loki." Fury said and extended his hand. "I assume you three are up to speed as to the scope of the current situation?"

"Yeah." I said and did my best to hold back the tears that kept threatening to come. "Seven major explosions around the world, and threats of more violence pouring in from fringe groups across the globe. CNN is estimating the death toll at three thousand, but keeps saying that the final count will not be known for weeks."

"CNN is wrong." Fury said and I blinked at him. "There are fringe organizations threatening more violence on the coattails of this one, but the count is much higher than what has been released. The current toll is Six thousand, five hundred sixty and climbing. The Pentagon is a total loss, as well as the Royal London Hospital that collapsed and hour after detonation. Evacuations were hindered by the lack of stairwells below the fourth floor. Recording from Emergency Services corroborate this information, but we are still lacking a motive or anything resembling a suspect."

I nodded as Fury motioned us through a door and into a hanger, we followed him down three sets of metal stairs where Clint and Natasha waited with a young woman in a red jacket and skirt. She looked at me, narrowing her eyes and openly glared at Loki as he walked past her. Natasha smiled at me and Clint gave me a nod as I walked over to them both and hugged Natasha.

"Hey Short Round." Clint said to me and I tolerated the nickname as I walked over to him and gave him a big hug. "Loki."

"Hi Clint, how is the family." I said and he took in a deep breath as he thought about the question and sighed.

"Kids are great, wife is angry with me for not finishing another project before the world went insane again, a lot of the same old arguement but they are good. Have you met Wanda?" He asked and nodded to the woman in red. I turned and extended my hand to her as I put on my best smile, and waited politely for her to take it. She crossed her arms and looked at the hand as if I offered her a dog turd, I let it draft back down to my side and felt confused about why she could not like me.

"Lil..." I started but she cut me off.

"Lilliana Rose Hawthorne, former criminal who found her abilities at twenty years of age. You have nightmares from childhood and adult abuse and do not like small spaces, Loki is your lover." She said to me and I flinched back and blinked in a bit of shock as I stood quietly and looked at Clint and Natasha, my mouth opening as I folded my hands.

"Do not scratch your hand, you are about to do it unconsciously. And congratulations on the engagement." She finished and I felt everyone look at me and then from me to Loki, their faces shocked as I stood quietly and folded my hands over my ring. Internally I screamed, and did my best to not throttle the woman in front of me. But in my head, I killed her five times and each one horribly.

"Surprise!" I said nervously and Tony looked at me in shock and back at Wanda, she smirked and I felt like an ant under a microscope.

"What did we tell you about reading minds?" Tony said, wagging a finger at her and then turned to me. "We should have told you, Wanda has a few gifts of her own. She can come across as strange, but she is really a nice kid. God chicks dig jerks, are you sure you can't do better?."

"Congratulations Lilly." Natasha said and gave me a thumbs up, I smiled back at her and I nodded.

"Yeah, I can tell she is really nice, mostly by the way her body language says she hates me but doesn't even know me." I quipped as Loki walked over to me and snaked his fingers around my wrist. His hand slipped into mine and I relaxed as his fingers slipped between mine, he was trying to calm me and it worked.

"It would do you well to stay out of my mind girl." Loki said and looked at Wanda, challenging her. "You will not at all enjoy what you see, fair warning."

Fury crossed his arms and he glared at the woman and I joined him, his eye intense as he looked at her. She relaxed her arms and shook her head, taking in a breath as she shifted and stood down.

"I do not hate you, I fear what you are. Just as you are afraid of yourself at times, understandable at best." She said and I flinched. She frowned in thought and looked down in sadness, her eyes drifting back up as I briefly saw a flash of grief in my mind from her. He mind cried out for a light haired man, someone who was very close to her and I felt her heart shatter as her mind broke from mine. I sucked my lower lip in a grieved the loss of her twin with her.

"I'm sorry." I said to her and she nodded at me as I blinked sadly at the woman, she extended her hand and I took it. Making another friend as I stood there, not saying a word between us but understanding each other.

"Beautiful ring, it matches your eyes." She said and I smiled at her compliment.

"If we are all getting along now, may we move inside. We still have a terrorist to catch, and I would like this to happen very soon." Fury said and began walking toward a door. He pressed a button and I stepped back, bumping into Wanda accidentally as I shook my head. Fury turned on me and saw my anxiety as Loki put an arm around me, there was no way I was getting in there. Panic laced my brain and wrapped a fist around my throat as I shook in fear at the elevator.

"I can't get into that thing." I said and Fury took in a deep breath, trying to remain patient with me.

"It is fifteen floors to the level we need, you don't have a choice in this Ms. Hawthorne." Fury said and Wanda slipped her hand into mine as panic wrapped around my heart and began to squeeze.

"I can help you if you let me." She said and I looked at her. My terror melted away as the elevator arrived, we filed on to it and Wanda put her hand on the back of my neck, her warm fingers comforting as we began to ascend. I closed my eyes and felt bliss and calm spread through me, everything that scared me vanishing as she held my hand and the back of my neck.

"You smell like Lavender, it is nice." She said and I smiled at her and her fingers brushed my birthmark, she continued to keep me fully relaxed as the level indicator chimed each floor. Her eyes softened as she looked at me and the warmth of her hand spread down my spine, her other hand let go of mine and rested on my stomach and it was strangely comforting.

The doors in front of us opened and Wanda guided me off the elevator as Fury took the lead again and we all followed him. She let go of me and I looked around me at the people moving about below us, between rows of monitors and some near banks of controls. Each workstation neat and organized, a woman with short, black hair gave orders and she looked up at us as we walked by. She glared at Loki and he returned the stare, I got the feeling that the two of them crossed paths before and it was not very friendly.

"You did good Princess. I'm proud of you. And congratulations, I wouldn't be me if I did not pick on you." Tony said and I nodded toward Wanda, she was a few inches taller than me and I could feel the latent power coming off of her.

"Tell that to her, she did most of the work." I said and Wanda looked at me and grinned. She was pretty, and her smile brought out her better features. Her eyes so sad though, and I knew it was because she had lost part of herself in the past.

"I like you now." She said as Fury turned and walked through a door into an open conference room. We all claimed a seat as I sat down and crossed my ankles neatly as I rested my hands in my lap. Fury looked around the room at all of us and let out a long, measured breath, I folded my hands as Loki sat in a chair close to me and patted my leg under the table. Phil stood off to the side as the black haired woman from below us walked in and stood next to him, both of them scanning the room as they stood quietly.

"I don't think that I need to remind everyone that we have just witnessed the worst terrorist attack in the history of the world. I also do not think that everyone assembled here needs to be reminded that we could be facing a very long road. What I need to know is if everyone here is willing to work with the rest to find whoever is responsible, and bring them to justice." Fury said and we all sat quietly. His eye scanned the room and he looked at Loki, who gave a single nod and Fury returned it. A non verbal agreement was made between both men and they both knew that they were going to be fighting for different reasons.

"Ms. Hawthorne. Agent Coulson sent me your list of items you need to access the Deep Web again, do you believe that you will be able to make contact with them again?" Fury asked me and I folded my hands in my lap as I thought, I was never good at speaking in front of people and now all eyes were on me. Not that I was ever comfortable being put on the spot before, but this was a personal hell I hated being in.

"The Four Horsemen have a sick fixation on me. I believe that I can access them again, but I can't guarantee that they will talk to me. That part is up to them really, and I don't know if their people are willing right now to have a brag session. I also want the cameras on me because the one who calls himself Death wants to see me, It may make it easier to get him admit that it was them if he can see me as I type." I said and Fury studied me, careful and calculating in whatever he was planning.

"You assume there are four of them?" Wanda said and I nodded at her, it really was not an assumption, more of an educated guess.

"Death may be their leader, he seems to have the pull and is the one I have had most contact with. But if my theory is correct and it is just a theory at this time, there will be three more. Famine, Conquest, and War, each named for the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse. I also have a feeling that they are well funded as we saw with the last fight we were in with Leonie and her Prion Disease killed and reanimated the victims of it." I said and Fury nodded at me. Clint sat back and raised an eyebrow at me and I shifted in my seat. Phil coughed behind us as Natasha let out a long breath she had been holding in, Tony crossed his arms and shrugged.

"It makes sense to me, there being four of them instead of one." Tony said and he closed his eyes, obviously unhappy that I brought up our last battle. Who could blame him though, it nearly killed all of us in that one, and tore parts of me away as I destroyed the one thing that could have laid waste to the entire planet. I still carried some of the things I saw that night, afraid to tell Loki I was given a vision from his dead adopted mother.

"Do you have any theories as to who they are?" Steve asked me and I shook my head, nothing stood out among everything that was going on in the world.

"No, not really." I said and Fury pointed at a screen above his head, we all saw the graphs and charts and I looked back at Phil who was smiling at me again. He said something to the woman next to him and she nodded as she listened, whatever it was, I felt a bit uncomfortable about it.

"Ms. Hawthorne did also provide us with a very good lead, thanks to her memory. Our Forensics Teams were able to get samples at three of the seven sites that contained traces of Ammonia Nitrate, most likely used in the explosives themselves. I am willing to bet that we will find traces of the chemicals at the other three sites when we are able to test them, we are currently waiting on results from one of them. The teams however, believe that they will yield the same results, and that we should not be looking for someone who made large purchases of the chemical fertilizers used in the bombs themselves." Fury said and Tony gave me a secret thumbs up, Bruce studied the screens and looked impressed.

"Good catch, but the connection between the bombs and The Horsemen is shaky though." Tony said and Bruce nodded.

"This is true, anyone could have built them, we don't want to go after The Horsemen when it is actually Hydra or ISIS." Bruce said and I had to admit, they did have a point, but it was just a jumping off point for Fury.

"Point taken Stark and Banner." Fury said and I nodded my agreement, but felt that it was the best lead we did have.

"To play Devils Advocate here, anyone who has half a brain can build an Ammonia Nitrate Bomb. All you need is a lot of the fertilizer and a detonator, Timothy McVeigh had very little education and he built his from a description in a book. I think we all know how that ended." I said and Fury looked at me in agreement and Bruce nodded. I sat back in the chair and rubbed the back of my neck, thinking harder as to what I could do next to help.

"Which is why we are having you attempt to make contact with this group again. We do not want to make any mistakes with this at all. The last thing we need right now is an all out war with different factions across the globe. If it is them, we will proceed as planned, and I want you to see if you can find something along the lines of a motive for this attack as well." Fury said and I looked at him nervously, Clint sat back in his chair as Loki took in a breath next to me. The hand in the armrest in my field of vision tensed and I pressed my lips together, thinking of everything that Fury wanted from me.

"Are you suggesting that we use Lilliana as bait for this time Fury?" Loki said coolly, and I wondered the same myself. Fury was known for playing his cards close to his chest, and I was worried that this time he was not playing for money.

"It sure sound like it to me. I don't like the idea of this at all, Short Round is not a worm on a hook." Clint said as he crossed his arms, challenging Fury.

"Agreed Barton. What if something goes amiss with your plan, what do you plan then to do?" Loki said and turned in his seat toward Fury, I could sense that this was going to become a pissing contest already and I was not ready for any of this. I sat back in my chair, studying the dark wooded table in front of me as the assembled people began to express concerns. Fury stopped and waited until everyone was quiet before continuing.

"She is the closest link we have right now to figuring out, beyond a reasonable doubt, who we are dealing with." Fury said and I looked over at Loki, he glared past me at Fury and I sighed. I waved a hand in his face and his eyes fell on me, whether he liked it or not, we were in this and I was not going to back down.

"It is not like he is standing me in the middle of a field with road flares and a big neon sign announcing me guys. I will be sitting behind a computer with cameras on me, at least this time and innocent Starbucks will not get trashed in the process. Trust me, I am from Seattle, that is a felony in that city." I said and Clink cracked a half smile at me. Tony sat forward and looked at me seriously as he folded his hands in front of him on the table and shook his head.

"If I remember right, we ran you pretty ragged last time, and it apparently left a few scars behind. Steve told us that you were seeing someone for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, what I really want to know is that if you think you can handle this round. I don't want you to come out worse than you are now Princess." Tony said and looked concerned at me, and I smiled and nodded at him.

"A lot of my fractures were there a long time before I started with you guys, I didn't grow up in the most ideal ways. I understand your worry for me and I appreciate it fully, but I have not broken yet. Hopefully, I never will." I agreed months ago to return and help catch this group, and here I am. No one forced me, and it was completely my choice." I said and Tony smiled at me sadly, probably knowing that I wasn't backing down from this round.

"I guess that settles that then." Clint said and looked at Fury, Bruce rubbed his face and cleared his throat.

"Just tell us if you need to step away, trust us, we will understand." Bruce said and I nodded at him, understanding their concern for me.

"I will, if I need a moment to breathe, I will ask for it. I'm a big girl though, and I can handle a lot that is thrown at me and even more than I should." I replied and I felt Loki's hand on my arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"We should have the equipment ready for you in about an hour. May I suggest you use that time to prepare what you plan to say to this person to get him to respond to you and to get our answers? We will also be prepping a tech team to run a counter attack, maybe we can track this person down and end the situation quietly." Fury said and my eyes widened at the thought that popped into my head. If we could take them down quietly, we would not make martyrs of The Horsemen. It would be as if they never were and we could stop them before they struck again, it may have been a crazy though but it was the most ideal choice for all of us.

"I may know a guy who can help you." I said and everyone looked at me, Fury gave me his attention and I grinned to myself. It was crazy, but he was the best hacker that I knew of.

"He is good, he can ghost into any server he wants to and leave without a trace. He mostly deals in stolen Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Numbers, and fake Identities. He hooked me up a few times with DMV records when I worked for my former employer, and he is better than me at what he does and I hacked the Pentagon at twelve." I said and Clint sighed as Tony rubbed his face and Natasha gave me an incredulous look.

"How do you know so many criminals?" Steve said and groaned, looking at the ceiling and probably praying for my soul.

"Because she was one." Wanda said and I pointed at her as I nodded, giving everyone a thin smile as I felt shame for what I once was creep back in.

"And how do we find this person, and what is their name." Fury asked and I shrugged, I was not really one to sell out my friends but we needed a certain element on this. SHIELD Agents were good, but they thought like cops and that was good, if you were securing a government firewall, but we needed someone who thought like a criminal and could sneak in and out without tipping them off.

"He hangs out at Fetish Balls around Seattle, he is a Cyber Goth and really likes his kink. He goes by the street name Twitch because of his horrible caffeine addiction, and he has Tourettes. I would say to start with Devil's Den and then check Gargoyle's Statuary, he gets his clothes at that store. If he is not at any of those places, go to every strip club near Pikes Place Market. He is a six foot tall Vampire with a coffee mug fused to his hand at a tic. You really can't miss him." I said and Tony rubbed his face as Loki looked at me in exasperation. I really hated my past sometimes, but today I probably could come in handy. At least I hoped it would and I would survive the embarrassment of having to introduce an old friend to the new ones.

"Please stay out of my head Wanda." I finished and she nodded at me as I looked down at the table, finding the grain interesting.

"Would you please stop reminding us how much of a criminal you once were?" Steve said and I rolled my eyes at his question. At least he did not ask me to explain what a Fetish Ball was, so I had that going for me.

"I can't change my past Steve, but I can look for redemption for it." I said and Loki looked at me as I sat back and studied the faces around me, not finding judgment on them. I guess they really were used to me after all, and I was more to them than everyone's pet psycho.

"This is going to be an interesting one, I can feel it already." Tony said and I heard Phil chuckle behind me at the statement.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

Princeton, New Jersey. One Month Ago.

Marcel paced back and forth calmly, turning on the ball of his foot as he changed direction and stared down the bound woman. This woman was proving to be difficult, but eventually she would break. Every person had a breaking point, and this woman was hiding hers well. All another person had to do was find the correct amount of pressure, the right place to push, and the will of the person would break. All would tumble down as the person gave in and handed their will to him, and he would find the button to press.

The true skill was in not breaking the person and rendering them completely useless. The true talent of torture was there, and he was well versed in it.

"Come now Sarah, you are going to cut off your circulation if you keep twisting your hands like that." Marcel said, turning the knife over in his hand as he looked down at the bound woman again, she glared up at him defiantly. Such a will to break.

"Let us go over it again, no one wants to hurt you, but your handsome Nephew will suffer if you do not cooperate. It would also be a shame if anything happened to make your sister turn back to those awful drugs she fought so hard to rid herself of. One year clean I believe, would it be horrible is she used again?" Marcel smiled and looked around the woman's small apartment. "That is impressive for a six year user, it should be celebrated really. Your sick, helpless mother must be very proud of her."

Marcel walked around the back of the chair the woman was bound to, she pulled at the duct tape again and struggled as he rested his hand on her shoulder. He leaned over close to her ear and whispered into it, eliciting a response that made the four year SHIELD Agent show how close she was to breaking. He set the knife down on her leg and pulled a phone out of his pants pocket as she shivered against him.

"It must be so very hard to know that that object that can be your salvation is on your leg, but you cannot grab it and free yourself. I know that helplessness Sarah, you and I are alike. This is why I want to show you something beautiful Sarah, I want to show you my work. Unlike you, I do not use a gun from a thousand yards away. I like to be closer to my targets, I like to watch the life fade from their eyes as I cut them open. It is more intimate to be that close to a person as they die, you share their final moments as they bleed and beg you to stop the pain. But still I cut them, and I actually see myself as an artists, I am so very proud of my work." He said as he turned the phone screen toward her and began scrolling through the images of his victims. Images of what used to be people, torn open and dead. Sarah screamed into the tape over her mouth and pulled at her wrists violently, desperate to get free and to safety.

Marcel had found the pressure point in her, and began applying the force.

"Sarah." Marcel said and she looked into his brown eyes, her nose inches from his as she cried, her tears of fear lovely on her tanned cheeks. He gently smoothed her short blonde hair and slowly put herself back together, becoming the Gulf War Veteran and SHIELD Agent again in front of him.

"We are both killers Sarah, we are not so different. The causes we perform our duties for are very different though. You kill for duty, your superiors give you a target, usually a rather bad person. And you take your rifle like a righteous staff of judgment and kill them. I am given my target by my employer and I kill them because I enjoy it. There is an art to the screams that come from my targets when I use my blade in my duties to my superiors, a certain beauty to it really." Marcel said and picked up the knife tapping the blade in the palm of his hand as he stepped back, something flashed in the woman's eyes and he knew that she had finally cracked. Her will was fractured, and she would now do anything he wanted her to do. He smoothed his sweater and closed his knife, slipping the item in his pocket as he smiled down at the woman.

"Will you serve The Four Horsemen?" He asked her and crossed his arms casually, appearing friendly to the casual observer. The bound woman nodded and his smile grew, he sat down in another chair and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He laid it down on the table next to her and took a long breath, giving Sarah her instructions. Only stopping to ensure she understood everything he said.

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I sat on the couch in the quiet room alone, tapping the yellow legal pad in my lap as I struggled to come up with anything that may begin to even please Fury. The crumpled balls of paper surrounding the waste basket in the corner was a silent testament to my struggle, a paper and metal monolith to my idiotic self indulgence. I rubbed my face with my hand and wondered to myself if Stephen King or Dan Brown ever struggled like this. I threw my head back and stared at the ceiling when I heard the door open and I looked back down to see Loki walking in with a plate of food and a steaming mug. Both items calling to me in a siren song that I could not resist.

"If that if coffee, you have totally just done something super sexy." I said as he gave me an amused smile and looked over at the crumpled pages near the trash. His eyes narrowed for half a second, returning to me and giving a snort.

"I see the muse still eludes you." He said and put the plate on the table while handing me the mug. "Perhaps some food will help you catch up to the elusive creature by the tail."

I set the pen and yellow pad aside and took the mug from him as he sat down next to me and crossed his legs neatly. I took a sip from the mug and found it was tea, not the desired caffeinated beverage but still a very good brew. I smelled the steam rising from the cup, and closed my eyes as mint stimulated the parts of my brain that shut down hours ago.

"O.K, only half sexy. You brought tea, but really good tea. So, I will give you eight out of twelve points for the effort." I said and he chuckled back at me. I leaned forward and picked through the fruit on the plate and selected a couple grapes, chewing them and washing down with a sip of the mint tea putting the cup down on the table.

"You are struggling with this entire situation, it concerns me. You have been wound tighter than a screw, and I wonder if it is too much for you right now." He said and I nodded, knowing full well that I was a terrible liar. He could always see through them and I always ended up being honest with him in the end, I just learned over three years to cut out the middle argument. It made life a bit easier on the both of us, and we pretty much never held back when the other person was being an asshole.

"I am, and wondering if I can really handle being thrown back into the fight again. I am so tired of not knowing if I am going to wake up screaming every time I close my eyes. I am also scared that this is just going to add to it all." I said and he slipped his arm around me, pulling me close to his chest and ran his hand over my hair. I mentally thanked Sam for advising me to be more open about my concerns, and to be more open with my fears.

"I will be there to wake you up." He said and I smiled as I put my hand up on his shoulder. "Keep talking to this Wilson, he may be of some help to you. No one else may understand it, but I do. It is therapeutic to have a friendly ear to listen."

"I was worried you wouldn't understand, that you would wouldn't want to be with me anymore because of the nightmares." I confessed and he frowned down at me and pushed me back gently. He held my face between his hands and looked directly in my eyes, looking into me and looking through me.

"Why would you ever think that?" He asked me and Held my face gently, his thumbs traced my cheekbones softly and he shook his head. I didn't know how to answer him so I shivered a bit and he pressed his lips together.

"That is a trivial thing compared to the rest of you, your wonderful mind, your capacity for kindness. One small blight on the petal of a rose does not ruin the entire flower, it makes it all the more unique among the bouquet." He said and I looked into his blue eyes and saw truth in them. He leaned close to me and his lips brushed mine gently as I melted and let my fingertips trace his jaw.

"Any man who would cast you aside in a fool Little Mouse." He said and pulled me close to him. I rested against his chest and listened to his heart beat, feeling calm as his hand rested on my waist. He pulled the hem of my dress down toward my knees, and I slowly closed my eyes as he gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"How do you always know the right things to say?" I quipped and he rubbed my arm and let out a breath.

"A thousand years of practice, perhaps I can help you with your script." He said and I smiled at him, ignoring his joke about his age. I gave him another squeeze and thought about how he was good at times to bounce ideas off of, his insane genius came in handy when we had to run from SHIELD and a really big bad a few years ago in Washington State. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but it was still there.

"What do you think would work? I am completely open to suggestions, and you have some good ideas at times." I said and he smiled at me, probably seeing the compliment as an ego stroke.

"If what you say is true, he wants you afraid. He wants to see you separated from everything and everyone you trust. Perhaps you can play to that, make his desire to see you frightened and alone your asset." Loki said and I looked at him and blinked, not hiding my thoughts on his idea.

"That is actually really smart, why do you think that will work?" I asked him and he took in a long breath as I watched his face as he thought, almost afraid to know the answer myself.

"That is what I would have done. I would have further worked to keep the intended being, in this case you, further isolated from the rest of your companions by any means necessary. I would have been quite ruthless in ensuring that the person I wanted was completely exposed as well before I sprang on them. Used the opportunity given to take them and use them for my benefit." He said and I pushed back from him, shaking as he spoke and he looked at me calmly. Sadness filled his eyes and he studied me, his hand left my waist and he looked away from me with shame filling his face at what he said and he looked at the window. I sat back on the couch quietly, not knowing what to say to ease my fears and to tell him that I still loved him despite his past. I put my hand on his arm and he looked down at my fingers on his black jacket and smiled at them, rubbing his hand over mine as he let out a breath.

"I would never do that now Little Mouse, I have found reason enough in you. Through that, I have found purpose in myself to keep you safe, I apologize for causing you fear." He said and took my hand in held it in both of his, running his thumb over my ring and smiling wistfully at it.

"You are right though, about all of it. What scares me is how far this person may be willing to go to separate me from you and everyone else. He has already killed so many people to get our attention. What is he going to do next? I'm scared. Not just for me, but for everyone else who happens to get in his way." I said and wrapped my arms around his shoulders in front of him, resting my cheek on his shoulder.

"They have faced greater dangers. Including me, I am sure Stark and the rest of them can come through this all unscathed." Loki said and hugged me to him, his hand rubbing my back as I sighed into his neck.

"But this is not some alien threat, this is someone who has different motives other than conquest. This is one of those gray areas between the black and the white that scare me, because they have no reason behind them. They just want to prove a point and be the last man standing on top of the mountain, waving their flag and proving themselves right. There is no reason to do any of this to the world but punishment, and what we are being punished for, I don't know." I said and sighed, burying my face in his shoulder and trying to hide from the truth.

"That is for you to find, the rhyme within the reason." He replied and I nodded.

"What if there is no reason for it at all?" I asked and Loki let out a breath and looked out the window at the ocean again.

"There is always reason, it just needs to be looked for harder in some circumstances. Eat something, you need it." He said and I rolled my eyes at him as he pushed me back and picked up the plate. I picked up a strawberry and bit into it, washing it down with more tea. I swallowed hard and let out a long breath, hoping that the world did not go any more crazy before all this was over.

"Always worried about me." I said and smiled at him, putting a slice of apple in my mouth as he watched me eat quietly. I picked up the pad and the pen, writing two words across the page and he smiled at them.

"Is it not my duty to take care of you and to see to your tutelage?" He said and took the pad and pen from me, setting them both back in the table. "What does 'wing it' Mean?"

"Improvise." I said around a bite of apple slice and he nodded back at me. "I can take care of myself too, just watch my back on this."

"If you insist, but don't be so stubborn that you find yourself ignoring others when they give you advice. You ran yourself too thin last time and it worried not only me, but everyone around you. I do not wish to see that again, use your gifted mind and be wise about this." Loki said and I gave him a soft kiss and he chuckled at me in response, The Norse God of Overprotective Boyfriends becoming himself again.

"Take that as a yes." I said and he leaned in close to me, his thumb brushing my cheek as his other arm wrapped around my back and I giggled as he pulled me close to kiss him again. A knock at the door stopped us and I sat back and rolled my eyes, smoothing my dress over my knees as the door opened.

"This is getting really old." I said and Loki nodded as Clint poked his head in the room and nodded at the both of us. He looked from me to Loki and I sat with my hands folded in my lap, no it did not look like he just broke up a make out session. Not at all, we were studying.

"I hate to interrupt, but that guy you told us about is in the conference room. He is pretty angry too, you may want to come talk to him before someone tests the running theory that he can't swim. I have twenty bucks that he can't." Clint said and looked at the both of us again. I picked up my tea mug and slipped my feet back into my shoes, Loki stood and picked up the plate of fruit and offered me the last slice of apple and I took it and ate it quickly. We followed Clint through the halls and up to the main deck where we heard a whiny voice loudly complaining.

We pushed through the doors to see Tony and Fury were quickly becoming impatient with the skinny purple haired guy in black skinny jeans, tattoos of Star Wars Characters up both arms, a faded Skinny Puppy band shirt, and a leather jacket, complete with studs and spikes. He was wearing his ice blue contacts and his purple hair stuck out in every direction, styled much like Robert Smith from The Cure. He jerked involuntarily as he sat in the chair and his tic was getting worse from the stress of his being brought here, I can only imagine how the flight in the jet was.

"Come on man, I had nothing to do with any bombs O.K. All I do is deal with Credit Cards, O.K. This is bullshit man, dudes, I got rights up the ass and you can't do this shit to me." Twitch wined and looked at us as we walked in. "Sup Raven. Dudes, I you gotta believe me I don't...HOLY SHIT RAVEN!"

"Raven?" Clint asked and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Street name Clint." I said and crossed my arms. "Hi Twitch, how is Seattle?"

"Aw shit Raven, word on the street is that you got X'd out. Another said you went Hot Rods of the Gods and vanished, total alien abduction, I thought you were floating in the Duwamish, you totally ghosted on us! Oh man, I am fucking glad you are still breathing, what happened to you Raven?" Titch said as he stood up and walked toward me, jerking involuntarily again as he moved.

"Wait til everyone hears you are alive, and hot! Not that you were not before, but the Sheeple look is good on you." He finished and Tony looked at me and crossed his arms. Fury looked like he was ready to help Clint win that bet, and I endured him for five seconds more.

"Sheeple?" Tony asked and I groaned, never thinking that I would have to explain anything to Tony or the rest. Fury let out a long breath and I was worried he was about to loose his cool.

"Sheep People, it is slang to describe normal people with nine to five jobs. The Suit and Tie crowd." I said and everyone nodded. "Look Twitch, we don't have a lot of time, but we really need you on this. Do you think you can calm down long enough to hear what we have to say? And please speak normal English for all the newbs in the room, I really can't spend half this conversation translating." I said and he looked at me and then over my head as Loki, they studied each other for a moment and then Twitch looked back at me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, Loki stepped forward to help me but I put my hand up as Twitch leaned in close to me and looked slightly freaked out. He pulled me across the room and glanced over my head again at Loki, his eyes narrowing for a second.

"Is that Twilight looking Mother Fucker the dude from New York?" He asked me as Loki watched the exchange closely and I nodded at him, his hand tightened on my wrist and he looked scared.

"Yeah, his name is Loki and we are together. Try not to be rude or anything O.K?" I said and flashed my ring at him, Twitch jerked as he let go of my arm and backed up a bit. He jutted his chin out at Loki and I stepped back, putting some distance to avoid getting accidentally hit by his arm when he jerked again.

"Sup Bro." Twitch said to him and then looked back at me, returning to his seat and looked at everyone in nervous distrust. His eyes darting around the room and finally accepting the level of shit he was in, and his body relaxing back. I sat down in a chair, and slowly everyone else picked a spot as Phil walked in and sat down on the other side of Loki.

"Look man, I sure as shit do not know what is going on. I can tell you that, I got rights and you are all holding me without charges. Whatever Raven told you to bail her ass out is bullshit, I am so not taking the fall for something that I did not fucking do." He said and drummed his fingers on the table as he looked at us, Loki glared at him and let out a measured breath and Fury was reaching the end of his rope.

"Her name is Lilliana, it would do you well to call her that." Loki said calmly and Twitch looked at me and burst out laughing, he wrapped his arms around himself as he threw his head back. He twitched and jerked a bit and looked back at me with amusement, gasping between bursts of laughter. Loki continued to become irritated with him, and I debated the ramifications of siccing Loki on him for a half second but kept my cool.

"Lilliana?" Holy shit, that is old school. Like King Arthur Old School, what the hell did you do to piss your parents off to name you that? I thought Raven was bad, but Lilliana is way worse. No fucking wonder you hid your real name from everyone, that name guarantees you will never get laid." Twitch continued laughing and jerking with his Tourettes kicking into high gear, I let out a sigh and he looked at me and then at Loki. Tony and Clint both nodded at me as I jumped and appeared right next to him, Twitch Jerked back in shock as I formed a ball of fire in my hand and let it dance along my fingertips. He watched in in a mixture of shock and amazement as I jumped again and appeared back in my seat, crossing my legs neatly and still playing with the ball of blue flame. Letting it dance along my fingertips, and twirling it about idly.

"Are you done?" I said and closed my hand over the flames, pulling it back into myself. Twitch nodded and looked at me, he gave a small jerk and blinked incredulously at me. Sometimes, being a freak show was not entirely terrible and I was great entertainment at parties.

"Rav...Lilliana. How long have you been able to do that?" Twitch asked and glanced at everyone, lingering on Loki.

"It started three years ago, when I vanished." I said and sat back. "I need you here on something, and we all need your skills Twitch. This is something that needs someone with the skill you have, and you were the first person who came to mind."

Twitch looked at me and around the room again, his mind working at a mile a minute as random spasms rocked his body. He looked at Tony and pointed at me in silent a question, Tony and Clint both nodded and he rubbed his face as he groaned and put his head down on the table.

"You know what I deal in, man I don't know if I can go legit. I got clients waiting, and a whole new operation set up. I had to rebuild everything when you left and Dave was found dead, I got competition for my skills out there. And my kung-fu is crazy strong, the demand is there but when you stopped bringing me people for my skills, I had to improvise." He said and pulled at his already messed up mop of purple hair and sighed.

"I am not going to lie, you are the best I could think of for this because of what you know and can do, I am not going up against a bunch of newbs with a Mac Book and Mommies credit card. There guys were able to track me down and find me, despite the fact that I was using one of the best VPNs available. These guys are fast and relentless, and we need someone who can counter attack them without leaving any signs they were there. Do you think you can do any of that?" I said and he sat back in his chair and looked at me, taking my challenge to prove himself and laughed sardonically. I had him then, and his grin showed me that he was very interested in what I was asking.

"How much did you tell them?" Twitch asked and I closed my eyes.

"I had to tell them everything Twitch, it was the only way to get them to bring you on. I had to convince them that you are good at what you do." He looked down at the table and groaned to himself as his back spasmed and he jerked.

"Fuuuuccckkkk. I don't want to go to prison after this, you sold my ass out! How the fuck could you do that to me Rav...Lilliana? We got history, and that was supposed to be deep, now you do this?" He said and looked at me, I did my best to stay calm as Fury sat forward and looked at him. He folded his gloved hands in front of him and Twitch wound his fingers into his hair and tugged it up and out, creating a purple flame on top of his head.

"We are prepared to offer you a deal for your assistance, if you are able to help us. And also if you choose to cooperate." Fury said and he looked at all of us and pointed at the computer terminal behind him and we all nodded. Loki leaned in close to me and I could tell he was tired of dealing with Twitch as he watched the skinny Cyber Goth stand up, doing a few stretches and did a few movements from the cheesy martial art films he loved to watch.

"Are you sure of this mortal, he seems a bit odd." Loki said in a low voice and I patted his arm patiently. Twitch looked at the screen as he flicked his wrists out and smoothed his leather jacket like he was about to conduct an orchestra, his fingers flew over the keys and Phil started looking a bit nervous. Tony and Clint made a bet and shook on it and Fury fixated on the guy, giving me a sidelong glance with his good eye as the kid worked. I sat back and crossed my arms as we watched the spectacle play out in front of us, Twitch grinned to himself and giggled a bit. His shoulder jerked again, but his hands stayed on the keyboard and his eyes on the screen.

"You thought I was obnoxious when we first met. If I remember right, you hated me and tried to kill me. Look where we ended up." I said and smiled at him. He leaned back in his chair as Twitch announced he had gotten into the servers, and had full access. From the terminal in front of him, he locked the entire staff below us out of their workstations and made it seem like they were still able to keep control over their terminals. He then opened a browser and ran a search for YouTube and pointed over his shoulder at the window and we all turned our seats to look down at the Control Center. One by one, every terminal blinked out and Apex Twin "Come to Daddy" began playing on them. Everyone below us looked around in panic and confusion and we all turned back to Twitch. He crossed his arms and grinned at all of us, he looked way to proud of the chaos he just caused and Loki chuckled. Tony handed Clint a folded bill and Steve crashed through the door, breathing heavily as he collected himself.

"I think someone did a computer thing that messed with our system." Steve said and I smiled at everyone, Steve looked at me as I giggled.

"You guys should really update your firewalls, I should never have been able to get past any of them. Those were like whores waiting for me to ease on in." Twitch said and gave a little laugh at his own joke, Tony looked at me again and I shrugged. Phil rubbed his face as he typed out an email that was most likely chewing the tech team out for being idiots, his face serious as he tapped with his thumbs. Fury let out another measured breath and I shrugged at him, he looked over the Control Center and Twitch gave a little jerk as he smirked.

"That was impressive, and for the record, he is not allowed to be left alone with Loki." Tony said and rubbed his face, I sat back down in my seat at the table as the chaos below us settled and everything went back to normal. Loki returned to his seat and glared at Tony as he sat back down, I sighed and tried to not let the both of them get to me.

"I told you guys he was good, sometimes that criminal element is what you really need to find the flaws in any perfect system. And, sometimes the criminals are better at tracking down the other criminals when the chips are down." I said and Fury glared at me, I closed my mouth before he could get angrier at me. I shifted and he looked back at Twitch, He gave an involuntary jerk and looked around the room at us again.

"You sheeple asked if I could help you, I proved it. Don't get all agro with me, I was perfectly happy to be left alone." Twitch said, putting his hands up as everyone watched him. Loki looked at me and I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed about my past again. I really hoped he was not judging me based on a few people I used to know, but sometimes it was hard to tell with him. It was hard enough to explain myself to everyone else, and I did my best to escape into myself and ignore him for that moment.

"What do we call you?" Tony asked and Twitch shrugged at him in response.

"Everyone has called me Twitch since I was a kid, it followed me all my life. So I go by that." He replied and relaxed in his seat and let out a long breath as he jerked again, he looked better now that he knew he was not going to prison.

"Do you have a real name?" Clint asked and he nodded in response, I had a feeling he was not going to willingly tell us his real name.

"I do, but I go by Twitch." He said and Tony sighed, looking at the ceiling as he groaned and tried not to loose his mind.

"This one is going to be interesting. Somebody calm down Steve before he blows a gasket." Tony said and I grinned.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

Apparently in my time away from Seattle, Twitch had also developed mild Narcolepsy along with his Tourettes. It may also have always been there, the constant stream of caffeine he ingested may have hidden the condition. You never really could tell with him, so someone had to be near him while he worked at all times, otherwise he fell asleep randomly. Clint and Natasha tag teamed that end, while Phil and Fury gave me last minute pointers on how to work the next hour or so before Fury left briefly to give orders and directions from to the people in the other room. A tech adjusted the camera that was on me, and linked it to the computer. I glanced nervously through the window the looked into the next room, there everyone would see what I was typing on a screen and what the responses were.

"You say he wants to see you." Phil said and handed me a tube of lipstick and a mirror. "Give hims something to look at."

I put on the rosy pink makeup and untied my hair, shaking it out with my fingers to give him the tousled bedroom quality men seemed to like but I could never really figure out. I turned toward the cameras and handed Phil back the makeup and mirror, he smiled at me and gave me a sly thumbs up.

"Perfect." He said and I nodded at him, my stomach was churning and I had a million questions I wanted to ask Death, but I still had to remember to appear afraid of him, I had to play up to what he wanted to keep him talking, to give Twitch time to track him down.

"I am not going to ask if lipstick is standard issue for SHIELD Agents. I don't want to know where you got that from either." I said and covered my mouth from view to mouth the word "Tony" at him and he grinned at me. Shaking his head at my joke as he walked around the room to join another agent out of camera view, still laughing to himself nonetheless.

"I had to hunt that down actually." He said and crossed his hands in front of him as he stood against the wall, waiting for us to start and to be on hand to give direction. I took in a long breath and looked at the laptop in front of me and waited for the signal to begin. Fury walked back in and stood next to Phil, both men silent and out of frame.

"Nervous?" Fury asked me and I nodded, folding my hands in my lap.

"Shitting bricks." I said and heard Steve say something in the other room, I looked over at the window and Tony waved a hundred in the air. I smiled at out ongoing wager and looked back at Fury and Phil, trying not to run screaming from the room.

"This is a controlled situation, just remember that. Make him think that you are completely alone, don't look at us or acknowledge that we are here when we give you direction. Just keep him talking and respond naturally, you can do this and nothing will go wrong." Fury said and I focused on the screen. The black haired woman from earlier opened the door and swung around the frame toward us, she was all business and her face serious. My hands shook a bit as I sat in the chair, and I opened and closed them a few times to shake it off.

"Tech team is ready, and we are feeding the new guy with the purple hair coffee and candy. He says that he is ready when you are, and is that why you needed my lipstick Phil?" She said and looked at me. Twitch sent me a message on the computer to let me know he isolated one server for this operation, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that we were not risking anyone having their files leaked to the bad guys. Fury offered him a job to build new firewalls for SHIELD when we finished, and it surprised me when he accepted it. I really could not see him as part of the suit and tie crowd though. Then again, I always thought I would end up in prison myself one day.

"Yes, and thanks for loaning it to us Maria." Phil said and she smiled at him, nodding at me as I giggled a bit.

"Good fishing, and it looks better on you than me.' Agent Hill said and left the room. I smoothed my skirt over my lap and readied myself in front of the computer, adjusting the screen and running through my head everything I needed to do. I shifted in my chair and looked straight ahead at the screen as I brought up the ISP for the camera pointed at me and copied it to the clipboard and turned the feed into a file that I could send Death to see me.

"When you are ready Ms. Hawthorne, begin." Fury said and I gave a quick nod as I opened the TOR and typed my query into the search bar. I knew from past experience what sites to avoid and went straight to their front page, don't want to give anyone a view of the horrors of the Deep Web. I found their stylized logo of the the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and looked through the window at Loki, he was focused ahead on the screens as he sat at the table and I swallowed hard and clicked on it. It took me to the same chat room as before, and I pinched my eyes as I watched the indicator appear that showed that someone was typing a message.

"GREETINGS SINNER, HOW MAY THE FOUR HORSEMEN AID YOU?" The person on the other end sent and I wasted no time. I pasted the filed that linked the camera into the message bar and clicked send on it.

"HELLO DEATH, DID YOU MISS ME?" I typed and hit send again. The other end went silent and I waited, sitting back and folding my hands in my lap as I waited for a response. The file opened and I watched myself shift in the camera and I stood up and turned in front of the camera to show him it was me, lifting my hair and showing him my birthmark.

"THE LAMB RETURNS TO ME." The response said as I sat down again and I began typing out my response.

"THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE A BETTER CAMREA TO SEE ME WITH." I typed and sent the message and another response came through as I twirled a bit of hair around my finger. I saw that he was typing a response as the indicator that someone was typing appeared again, I let go of the hair and pressed my lips together to show him my anxiety was high.

"YOU WERE CORRECT IN YOUR ASSUMPTION. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL." Death responded and I closed my eyes, and he began typing again.

"DON'T BE AFRAID OF ME." The immediate response from Death came through as I nodded as I began typing again. I looked down and snuck a glance at Loki who was resting his chin on his palm as he watched the screen.

"I AM NOT. I JUST DON"T WANT TO GET CAUGHT." I responded and shifted again, hoping he would think that I was doing something clandestine in a room somewhere.

"Perfect, keep playing that up." Phil said as he watched a tablet and I looked around the room trying to look like I was trying to work in secret.

"I HAVE MISSED YOU SINCE OUT LAST TALK LILLIANA. DID YOU ENJOY THE FIREWORKS WE ARRANGED?" The response blinked at me, I had to keep him with me while Twitch worked in the next room. His admission fro the bombings came faster that I anticipated, and it made me nervous that he knew what was going on. He was way too proud of his work too, and that made me doubly nervous and scared at the same time. I bit my lip nervously and looked at the monitor to begin typing again, pouting a bit to show the fear and sadness on my face.

"THEY MADE ME SAD. YOU KILLED INNOCENT PEOPLE DEATH. WHY?" I typed out and hit send, resisting the urge to look around at everyone to see if I was doing the right thing. I had to keep up the act that I was alone, I had to keep him online.

"BECAUSE MY DEAR, IN ORDER TO CREATE A NEW WORLD, THE OLD WORLD MUST BURN." He replied and I immediately chewed my lower lip as I fidgeted with my ring, thinking fast as how to respond.

"Question his motives, just keep him talking." Fury said and I shook my head, typing again and doing my best to not look at him and respond.

"WHY BURN THE INNOCENT? WHAT NEW WORLD?" I replied and clicked send, the other end went quiet and no indication was given that he was typing. I sat back in the chair and put both my hands flat on the table, I glanced quickly at Fury and closed my eyes and shook my head. I felt like a failure, and I wanted to apologize for it all, they believed in me to get them some answers and I messed it all up.

"He is responding." Phil said and I opened my eyes again to see the indication that someone was typing and relaxed, letting out my held breath.

"BECAUSE, THE WORLD MUST BE REBORN. IF IT TAKES INNOCENT BLOOD SPILT, THEN IT IS WHAT IT TAKES." Death replied and I sat back in the chair. I responded quickly, not caring anymore if I pissed the guy off.

"YOU DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE CONQUENCES TO BE HAD NOW, WE ARE HUNTING FOR YOU AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE CATCH YOU." I hit send and waited for his response, staring down at the monitor in open defiance.

"I EXPECT THAT MY DEAR. I AM ALSO AWARE NOW THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO HUNT ME THROUGH THE COMPUTER." The response said and I looked at the screen and let out a breath, nearly screaming in frustration that we had been caught so soon.

"Convince him. Your friend is still working." Fury said and I gaped at the screen.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IT IS JUST MAE AND YOU RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE." I responded and waited for Death to say something back, I folded my hands and played with my ring nervously as the indication that someone was typing came and I waited.

"DON'T BITE YOUR LIP MY DEAR, AND YOU ARE A TERRIBLE LIAR. SOMEONE ON YOUR END IS TRYING TO TRACE ME, I HAVE KNOWN SINCE THIS ALL STARTED." The response said and I jerked back in my chair, Twitch was the best at what he did and this guy caught him. The game was up, and we all knew it.

"Shit." Phil said and I hung my head, ashamed for not being better at this.

"I DO HAVE SO MANY MORE WONDERS TO SHOW YOU. BUT FOR NOW, I MUST SAY GOODBYE. WE WILL MEET FACE TO FACE SOON THOUGH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT, HOW I HAVE LONGED TO TOUCH YOU." The response said and the other user disconnected completely, shutting down the site as well as they left. I looked up at Fury and Phil, my mouth open as both men stared at me. I tried to find something to say, but came up empty cringing a bit as Fury walked forward and sighed.

"I don't know what happened, I'm sorry." I said and Fury closed the laptop in front of me with a soft click. He leaned over the table and shook his head as I sat in the chair and tried to to cry out of frustration, the silence became thick as it hovered around the room and I was terrified.

"We all tried, and now we know who initiated the attack. You performed perfectly, and you got some of what we needed. That is more than we were hoping for." Fury said and I heard frantic knocking on the glass next to me, the three of us looked to see Twitch waving excitedly and holding a piece of paper to the glass. Written on it was two ISP addresses and Fury looked at me as I opened the laptop again and waved Twitch in. Coulson raised an eyebrow and I smiled as I booted up some software and opened a browser, we may have them yet.

He walked in and I grabbed the paper from him and ran a search on both ISP addresses, one was a total bust, it was connected to a server farm owned by Facebook in Idaho. Fury and Phil walked around behind me as the group in the other room watched the monitor, probably hoping that I could find something from the numbers. I entered the second ISP and found it linked to a research facility in Northern Scotland, miles from anywhere and I looked at Twitch. He shrugged back at me and I grinned at him, working fast at my new search for information.

"How did I do Rav...Lilliana?" Twitch asked and jerked, I gave him a fist bump and turned back to Phil and Fury.

"Twitch found us a lead." I said and they both leaned over me to look at the screen over my shoulders, I had a claustrophobia moment but it passed. Fury read the screen as Tony walked in and looked at the four of us, pointing at Twitch and smiling.

"You amazing, freaky looking little man, for this I am paying for you to get your nipples pierced." Tony said as he smiled at Twitch. Loki walked in and looked at all of us, gauging the conversation as Tony high fived the computer geek.

"Too late man, but I do want a sweet dragon tattooed on my back." Twitch said and lifted the front of his shirt up to display that two hoops hanging from his skinny chest. Loki raised an eyebrow and the display and looked at me, I groaned and put a hand over my eyes. I shook my head and pulled the hem of his shirt back down, Phil shifted on his feet and let out a breath.

"Well then," I said and looked up at everyone and sighed. "We at least have a clue now, and a motive. Now all we need is information on the facility, maybe we can find a floor plan or something. Even what research was going on there, and please don't let it be freaky."

"I will get Friday on it, and please don't show us anything else you may have pierced, Steve is sensitive." Tony said and looked at me. I rolled my eyes, knowing what he was going to ask and I groaned.

"Ears and one tattoo, nothing else. I swear." I said and Tony looked at Loki, who was still trying to figure out the purpose of the piercings. He shot me a glance and I widened my eyes at him as I looked up at the ceiling and did my best not to get snarky.

"I can validate that statement Stark." Loki said and looked at me. "Perhaps we should be planning our next move, and forming another to keep Lilliana safe? This person is strangely enamored with her, and my try to make a move to harm her."

"He did say something to the effect of wanting me." I said and felt very nervous, hiding it for Loki though. No sense having him go overprotective butt head on me with everyone else, he had done it in the past and it was not his best quality.

"Yeah, we will work on that as soon as possible. Princess will also need a change of clothes, maybe a place to sleep if she gets drained from using her gifts. Someplace comfortable, and that fits her phobia." Tony said and Loki nodded, Twitch looked at all of us and gave a quick jerk that caused his arm to flail out.

"That can all be arranged, we have a few places we already thought about when we discovered her." Phil said and smiled at me. "We made a few modifications to a berth and made sure that we gave her plenty of space."

"I could go for a shower too, these clothes and me are starting to get a little smelly. I also feel really cruddy." I said and pushed Twitch to the side a bit before he accidentally hit me with his arm during an episode. Loki looked at me and rolled his eyes noticing the movement, I gave a little shrug and he looked back a Twitch who jerked again and his arm flipped. I was suddenly afraid that he was judging my by my association, and my past was coming back to haunt me in superb fashion.

"That can all be arranged, Agent Coulson will show you your berth." Fury said and looked at everyone. "Until we find out more on this, keep me up to speed on everything you come up with toward solving this. I also want to know what you find on the Research Facility, should it look promising, be ready to go and check it out. None of you are to discuss this with other personnel until we know something solid."

"Sure man." Twitch said and I nodded my agreement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I stepped out of the room they made for me and walked up toward the lab where everyone was standing in a loose circle with the exception of Twitch. Someone managed to find me a black pair of jeans and a white long sleeved shirt, the boots were a good fit when I tried them on, and I got my shower. I braided my hair and pulled on an olive drab sweater over my head ans I walked, a few random Agents checked me out and I rolled my eyes at them in response. No one was really surprised to see me walk in, I was pretty much a part of the scenery round the ship and a part of the team.

"Hey Princess," Tony said and held out a bag of blueberries to me, I picked a few up and ate them and nodded at him. "We were just talking about you."

"All good things I hope." I said and Wanda looked at me, a bit of amusement on her face as she shifted.

"Yeah, don't freak out now." Tony said and offered me a seat. I went over and sat down in it and looked at everyone, Twitch let out a snore from his work station and I rolled my eyes in exasperation. I was starting to get a vague idea about what they talked about when I was getting cleaned up.

"We may have a plan actually, well Loki is not on board with it, but we thought you could convince him to play along." Tony said and I looked at him and really started to wonder what was up, I was hoping it did not involve me doing anything stupid.

"It is madness Stark, you would be putting her at too great a risk." Loki said and I looked back at Tony, holding my hand out for more of the berries. He shrugged and rolled his eyes, preparing his argument holding the bag out to me and I grabbed a few more. I popped them into my mouth one at a time as I waited for Tony to start talking and chewed them silently.

"Long story short, we use you as bait. They come to get you, and we follow you to wherever the Horsemen are hiding out." Tony said and I shook my head in response. There was no way I was going into shark infested waters and risking getting my ass kicked again so they could find an easy answer.

"No way." I said and stood up. "I am not playing along with that at all, you must be fucking nuts to even suggest that one Tony because my middle name is not Bait."

Tony sighed as I grabbed the bag out of his hand and started eating from it, he looked at me and let out an annoyed eye roll as I glared at him. Loki moved next to me and put his arm around my shoulders, I offered him the bag of fruit and he took a few berries and chewed them as Clint and Natasha watched the both of us.

"I told you she would not go along with this." Clint said and laughed to himself. "She is too smart to agree with it, and she is not suicidal."

"Thank you Clint." I said and handed Tony back his bag of fruit. He took it and I leaned into Loki, not caring if anyone was judging us. They could all go to hell for all I cared, I was tired and the day had already worn on me. I was also not looking forward to going back into the mess, or dealing with any attitude from anyone. Twitch woke up and rubbed his face as he blinked at all of us, he was already proving to be an interesting addition to the team and he was looking tired himself.

"Working hard Twitch?" Steve said and he crossed his arms at the Narcoleptic Goth.

"Yeah man, I'm cool." Twitch replied and jerked again. "Just working on that research for Iron Dude and Mr. Fury, I need more coffee though. Where do I get some, and some brain fuel?"

"I will take him." Clint said and looked at all of us. "Want anything while we are out?"

We all shook our heads as the two of them left, Wanda crossed her arms and looked at me with a smile. I rested my hand between Loki's shoulder blades and leaned into his arm, her eyes narrowed at us and I shifted nervously. Loki lowered his eyes toward me and stiffened, looking back at Wanda with mild annoyance and he clenched a fist.

"I warned you to stay out of my mind, you are now testing my patience girl." Loki said and she looked at him quietly, I sighed and looked at her and she put her attention on me. I shook my head as I rolled my eyes and felt like I was being studied for a moment, I pulled the sleeves of the sweater over my hands and felt a shiver of cold up my back from the air conditioning.

"Could you please stop, both of you?" I said and pulled away from Loki. Wanda gave me a soft nod and she returned her attention to Loki briefly, finding something interesting elsewhere to focus on. The room grew tense suddenly, and I rolled my eyes at the knowledge of why.

"That is rude Wanda." Natasha said and I sat down in a chair in front of the empty computer. I wiggled the mouse and opened a browser, running a search on the research facility and set strict parameters for the results that came back. Someone was going to have to do actual work, and it looked like it would be me.

"Twitch is good at finding out the information on a server and getting what he needs, but when it comes to actual research, he is terrible at it. I am going to set this up and grab some sleep, it will probably take a while to finish anyways." I said and pushed the sleeves of my sweater up on my arms as I worked, making sure that everything was ready before starting my search. If worse came to worse, I could just use Google-fu to get the info I wanted.

"How long will that take?" Tony said and I turned in my chair and shook my head, not entirely sure myself how long it would take for any usable results to come back.

"A couple of hours maybe. It could all come back sooner." I said and stood up, walking toward Tony as I made a grab for the bag of fruit in Tony's hand. He pulled if back and I rolled my eyes at him as he gave me a smug smile and teased me with the bag, holding it over his head. I debated gut punching him to get the food, and smirked at him briefly. I hated being short, and he was using it to his advantage.

"Perhaps the smartest plan I have heard all day." Loki said and grabbed the bag from Tony, handing it to me. "You may go rest for a while so as not to stress yourself out any further than you already have."

I nodded as I ate a handful of berries from the bag and gave them back to Tony, he looked at the ones in my hand and sighed as he looked at Loki. He focused on my ring and grinned at it, nodding as I wiped my hands on a paper towel, something crossing his mind as he finished off the bag of fruit. He shook his head and glanced over at the door as Twitch and Clint walked back in, a plate balanced on his arm and a mug of coffee in both hands.

"We need to figure out this guys next move, before they strike again. This first attack was a total shock to everyone, and I for one do not want to be caught off guard again." Tony said and Twitch drank from his mug as he set down his plate and the other coffee on the table in front of us.

"I think I can help with that dudes." Twitch said as he joined the discussion, he gave another involuntary twitch and everyone looked at him and waited for him to say more. I giggled my myself as he tried to fit in with the group, and he mimicked a professional stance with a mug of coffee in his hand.

"How?" Bruce said and Tony shook his head, trying really hard to not look annoyed.

"Remember that weird prediction software they talked about on that History Channel show Lilly? The one about all the freaky ways everyone thought the world was going to end in 2012, you were all like 'No way that some Mayan dud runs out of room on a rock and the world ends.' Man that was some crazy shit though, all fire and brimstone. It had me going for a bit, all those freaky predictions." Twitch said and I gave him a look to stop talking, but nodded at him.

""You mean the Web Bot Project?" I said and Twitch nodded at me and finished the cup of coffee, taking a bite of sandwich from his plate as I thought about it. I ran it over in my head and wondered if it was possible to write something like that, and use it to out advantage.

"Yeah," He said around a mouthful of food. "Think something like that will work? I could turbo charge it with intrusion software and all that, it could be the best thing we have to predict what will happen before it happens. Mega spy software, and all."

"I think it would actually," I said and looked at him. "It would at least be a start, make it think for itself, and learn while bringing us back the information. Something like that would be a huge asset. Not only to this situation, but to SHIELD in general. It would put them at the top of their game all around."

"Make it learn new intrusion techniques, and leave no trace behind. It could seek out any flaw in a firewall, and exploit it. Sneak onto them before they sneak onto us." Twitch said and I smiled and nodded at him.

"Exactly, the counter spies can become spies themselves. I really think this will work." I said and I laughed to myself at the idea.

"Hack them as they hacked us, totally Elite in our attacks. Totally like the old days, before all the newbs and bitches got puters and started getting all agro." Twitch said and I fist bumped him and grinned wider. The rest of the group watched the exchange with interest and I laughed at the genius of the entire plan, Tony raised his hand and I rolled my eyes.

"O.K. Kids, for the grown-ups in the room. Tell us what the Web Bot project is, and please use small words. Some of us are easily confused." Tony said and everyone looked at us, even Loki looked intrigued as to what we were planning.

"She can explain it better than me." Twitch said and took another bite of sandwich.

"The Web Bot Project was developed in 1997 to predict Stock Market Trends by Clif High and George Ure. They kept the technology and algorithms completely secret so they could sell the trading predictions through their website. It turns out, they were extremely accurate, scary accurate in fact and people made millions off of their software. The Feds caught up to them for selling insider information and it got them into a lot of trouble. They had to shut down the service, and they ended up having this software they could do nothing with, until the got an idea." I said and Tony looked at me and sighed, rolling his eyes as Loki raised an eyebrow. Listening to me as I spoke and tolerating the interruption.

"We are looking for terrorists, not playing the Stock Market to retire Princess. What does that have to do with this situation?" Clint said and I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling frustrated and taking in a cleansing breath.

"Can I finish?" I snapped and Bruce, Loki, Wanda, and Natasha nodded, giving me a chance to explain the whole plan before judging it.

"The Web Bot is programmed to monitor news articles, blogs, and all other forms of internet chatter looking for trends in the people who post. Words programmed into the lexicon are assigned numeric values for emotional quantifiers, those quantifiers include duration, impact, immediacy, intensity, and usage. The lexicon itself if completely dynamic as well, changing according to the shifts that occur in emotional tension of internet users, and how human beings communicate those changes using the Internet and Social Media. Last that I heard, there were nearly three hundred thousand keywords in the lexicon, along with their emotional context, all of those words can be fed into a computer-generated model space. That was of course back in 2008 though, it could have doubled, maybe tripled that lexicon by now." I finished and Tony made and impressed sound as he looked at the both of us, he reached out and grabbed my shoulders and put his ear on the top of my head. Loki raised both of his eyebrows at us and grinned. His head raising and lowering to the top of mine again, and he tapped the part in my hair and grinned like a kid.

"Do you hear that?" Tony said as he put the ear back to my head I blushed. "That is the sound of genius coming from this brain. This amazing, wonderful brain! I knew she would have something brilliant, and I was not disappointed at all."

"This does make our job easier in the long run." Clint said and shrugged.

"So you are saying that you could create something similar to search the web for whispers that someone is planning an attack, and return this information to us here." Bruce said and I looked at Twitch, he licked his fingers and belched loudly as he cracked a Red Bull from his back pocket and drained it in a single long drink. How he fit that drink into his skinny jeans pocket, I will never know.

"Not just the internet dude. I am thinking private computers and servers, anything linked to the internet. I add some intrusion software to it as well, we set it up and it goes fishing for us. I would also be able to learn on its own, that way we would not have to teach it emotional values and new words. It would find the trending words, assign them the values and go hunting for us." Twitch said and jerked as he crossed his arms. I smiled and looked around me, Tony and Bruce actually thinking about it and Loki crossed his arms as he watched the both of us.

"You would be invading the privacy of millions of people, how is that legal? Steve asked and I looked down and tried not to get mad.

"It isn't really, if you go by the Constitution, but imagine for a second how much software like that would prevent. We could stop another bombing before it happens, it would save human lives as well as save us from having to pick up the pieces again. At least, once it is perfected." I said and Tony nodded his agreement with me, I think also he was a bit excited to have a new toy to play with.

"How long would it take you to write this software?" Tony asked and Twitch thought about it, picking at the other half of sandwich in front of him and pinching his face.

"Six to twelve hours, give or take." Twitch said and pointed at me. "Way less time if she helps, two big brains are better than one."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem, I can knock off at eight and sleep tonight and have a full report on the Research Facility for Fury in the morning. I can only help for a few hours though, I slept for crap last night and I need to play catch up." I said and glanced up at Loki, he pressed his lips together and calmly nodded. He may not have liked me doing this, but I was needed and we really had to get this software written to brief Fury.

"I don't like it." Steve said and we all looked at him, he did not look at all happy about what we were planning. He did not even try to hide it from us either, he was the good guy with the conscience the size of Texas.

"What is there not to like, this strategy actually sounds rather brilliant Rogers." Loki said and everyone turned to Steve, Tony rubbed his forehead and looked at me. His face told me that we were going to have a Boy Scout Moment, and I nodded to say I was ready for it.

"You are talking about spying on everyone, what if this program flags a random kid playing around on a computer? Do we target them and go after the kid as a terrorist?" Steve said and I accepted his argument. He had a legitimate concern, and I couldn't blame him for that. I had been that kid once, but I did actually do something bad using computers. Never hack the Pentagon, it ends badly for a school.

Yeah, still living that one down and it was a bitch to have brought up at times.

"This is where the Human Element would come in, the computer would only make educated guesses based on our search parameters. It would really be up to us to decided if the result was, and is an actual threat." I said and Tony rubbed the back of his neck, I could tell that Steve was going to fight us on this one more, but for now he was satisfied.

"Go ahead and get started on it, we can maybe use it to prove Steve wrong later. Right now, we are out of options and we need results before any of this gets worse." Tony said as Twitch poked at his sandwich and ate a huge bite of it. Loki snaked a hand around my arm as the group disbanded and pulled me with him over to another part of the lab, the look on his face was stormy and I was not ready to argue with him. He looked at me sternly and sighed.

"Don't push yourself to impress," Loki said and let me go. "I do not want you to create further suffering for yourself, you have been through enough."

"It will only be a few hours of actual work, then I will go get some sleep. It is not like I am going to miss much of that, I get woken up a few times a night anyways." I said and he studied me carefully, I looked at him and saw the concern on his face and put my hand up on his cheek.

"Don't worry about me, I am not made of glass and I will be fine." I said and I could see him relent, becoming less stubborn in his stance.

"May I assist you then." He asked and I figured out quickly what was going on, Twitch and I had a past and he was worried about that. He was actually worried that he may loose me to the skinny Cyber Goth, I internally giggled at that thought for more reasons than one. I also knew that it would do me no good to try to explain to Loki that were would never be anything more than friends without embarrassing Twitch with the reason why. Some things he did not like aired, and he had a good reason. Human beings were assholes sometimes.

"Sure." I said and kissed him softly. "Maybe you can read through all that comes back on that Research Facility, I could use an extra set of eyes to read that while I program code."

"I shall do my best." Loki said and I smiled at him.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

He rolled over on the bed and looked around his cell, part of his mind unable to comprehend what he was doing there when he sat up and walked over to the pitcher left on the table. He poured the water into the cup and looked at the chair in front of the shield, something very wrong about the situation edged at his mind as he moved. There was something more, a reason as to why he was not supposed to be there, but could not remember it. He drank from the vessel as the watched other prisoners being brought past his cell, all of them beneath him as he turned and returned to his own small world and sat in the chair.

He picked up the book he had been reading and relaxed back, idly turning the pages of the battered soft bound book. Something was so familiar of this book, something that reminded him of lavender perfume and a warm laugh. Something that still nagged at him as he sat reading a passage, something wrong today but it was no real concern of his. He was an animal in a cage, locked away to be forgotten and nothing more. Odin's prisoner to serve out an endless sentence, left to rot and atrophy in a box.

Loki turned his head as a Guard approached his cell and removed his helmet, the man grim in his task as he opened his hand slowly to reveal a small ring. A gold ring, set with a deep purple Amethyst and he crouched down to set it in front of the shield. Loki studied the ring and something about it was heartbreaking, he continued to look at it as he stood and approached the Guard. His eyes on the object as he walked forward, his fingers fidgeted with the book. His hands came together and mimicked scratching at the back of one, where was that motion from? He met the man's eyes and saw a deep sadness in them as he stood and waited for him to speak.

"The Lady Lilliana Rose has died." The guard said and Loki looked down at the ring on the floor, the pale finger that once wore it had been ripped from the world. He looked at the stone and saw the most beautiful eyes of the same color smiling with an inner light at him, the soft blush of a cheek below them as he studied the gold knot work pattern of the band. He looked away from the ring and at the book in his hand, reading the title "Cloud Atlas" and seeing a black haired woman smile as his hand turned into a fist and he screamed.

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Loki's eyes popped open and he shook off the last of the dream, looking down at the top of Lilliana's head as she lay sleeping on his chest. Her right hand curled against his neck and her breathing soft and steady, he felt her warmth against him and he rubbed her arm with his hand as she muttered in her sleep. He put his arm around her back and shifted her carefully so not to wake her, she moaned and settled onto her side as she lay still again. Sleeping peacefully on the pillow as her hair formed a halo of darkness around her head. She was pale in the dim moonlight, and her face soft with her lips slightly parted. She shifted again and settled her hands tucking under her pillow and she buried her face in it.

He got up and filled the sink with water, splashing some of it onto his face as he struggled to forget the dream from moments before. She was not dead, it was an illusion in his head, brought on by fear and an intimacy with loss that so very few knew. He dried his face and hands on a towel and drained the water from the sink as he leaned back and loosened his tie. He pulled it over his head and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, throwing both garments onto the chair with her pants and sweater and he looked out the thick glassed window and over the ocean.

The scars on his back itched and felt tight, he stretched his arms out to alleviated the sensation, and he noticed that one on his shoulder had faded. He knew it was her, her instinct working in her sleep to heal damage done that was involuntarily. She had to control her gifts better, she could accidentally drain herself and end up sleeping too long the next morning. Thankfully for now, it was subtle changes. He had noticed it first when a scar form his childhood on his leg was gone one morning, he asked he about it and she denied doing it on purpose. It nearly landed them into a fight, but her believed her. Her desire to protect and heal would always be there, just like her warm smile and need to learn.

The sea was bathed in moonlight as the vessel floated alone and unnoticed in the vast ocean, this floating fortress designed to keep prisoners and provide safe haven for the fighters within. He studied the ripples and let out a long breath, the dream still vivid in his memory as he studied the refracted light. The only sound behind him was a soft whimper as he turned to see her shift and roll over onto her back. Her back arched a bit as she stretched and settled again, the subtle tensing of the muscles there as she moved and her hands curled again.

Tonight was a strangely peaceful night for her and he hoped that she stayed asleep, Lilliana needed a respite from the nightmares that tore her from sleep and left her shaking in fear. Horrible illusions played out in her head that made her scream and claw at her covers and clothes as she kicked and fought them, her body never able to relax fully from them when he woke her. He worried they would never give her rest and he debated waking her to see if she was well, but decided that it was best to leave her at peace and he did not want to spoil it for her.

His mind drifted back to the mortal who jerked and moved so strangely, how she laughed as the two of them worked. Working out and devising intricately written lines of what they both called code, and he sorted through the information he had. He wondered if the mortal had affections for Lilliana, and found himself feeling irritation every time she laughed or smiled at him. Perhaps he had even stolen a kiss from her at one time, and the thought concerned and irritated him greatly. He acted so openly friendly toward her and it troubled him more than it should have, he wanted to beat the man and pull her out of the lab every time he heard her laugh at something or pay him a compliment on his work.

She rolled over again in he sleep and her hand drifted over the cooling space next to her, searching for him as her sleep filled mind worked on instinct alone. Not finding him next to her, she pushed herself up from the bed and looked around her. Her eyes searching the room and finding him in her worry, she smiled sleepily up at him and rubbed the back of her head. He walked back over to the bed and sat down in his empty space and let her shift and pull him into her, her pale fingers on his shoulder as she closed her eyes and he wrapped his arms around her back. She settled again, and he savored the feeling of her closeness.

"Are you O.K?" She asked him, her voice thick with sleep as he lay back on the bed next to her and let her settle again on him.

"Yes, something disturbed me and I needed a moment." He replied and her eyes shone as she looked up at him. Sadness crossing her face as she looked up at him and the look she usually gave him when he had done something foolish mingled with it, he let out a long breath and waited to see what she had to say.

"Twitch is just and old friend Loki." She said and he stopped her before she could become truly annoyed with him, he did not want her to fight with him and he tapped her forehead as they lay in the calm.

"I had a terrible dream." He said and she looked up at him again and nodded. He face softening as she kissed his chest over his heart and he smiled down at her.

"Only good dreams now." She said, repeating his words that he used when she was ripped from sleep by a frightening dream herself. He slipped his other arm over he back and smiled down at her as she curled against him, her hands wrapping around his arm and sighed into his chest.

"Just so you know, Twitch is not into women, he hangs out at the nude bars to make sure that no one messes with his sister. She is a dancer at a few of them, and he really cares about her." She said and he felt embarrassment creep into him at his irritation toward the man.

"He prefers the company of men then?" Loki asked her and she giggled into his chest softly, her thin body shaking with the amusement.

"Yes. There is nothing wrong with it, he is still a very nice person and intelligent." She replied and he rubbed his face with his free hand as she giggled again, amused at his mistake.

"Always so accepting Little Mouse." He said and smoothed her hair, letting the soft strands glide between his fingers as she giggled. She closed her eyes and found a bit of his shoulder length hair with her fingers and played with it idly as she lay against him, her face content and serene as she yawned quietly. He took her hand playing with his hair in his and kissed it, holding it to his lips as he let his fingers weave between hers. He looked at her and saw the shimmer that often defined her eyes there, the only external sign of the power that lay within her. She closed her eyes and he watched her face closely for any signs of change or distress as her body slowly relaxed and she drifted back to sleep.

"This universe does not deserve a creature such as you Little Mouse." Loki said and closed his eyes.

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Loki and I walked into the lab to find Wanda keeping Twitch awake at the both of them talked, he was animated and actually smiling as he told her about all the stuff he could do with computers and it was sort of cute. IT was also nice to see that he was getting along with everyone around him, she made a comment about his messy hair and he grinned. Rubbing the purple flame over his head and trying to smooth it. Loki handed me my cup of tea and Wanda shifted to acknowledge us as I walked up behind Twitch and he looked over his shoulder at the both of us.

I leaned over the computer to see what he had done, and I was shocked and surprised to see that he had nearly finished coding the algorithm, I smiled at him in pride at his work. Tony and Bruce walked in, talking to each other, glancing at us as they passed us and I started vaguely feel like the four of us had formed a clique reserved for the weird kids. The outcasts that could be tolerated, but were too smart to hang around the jocks. Not that I cared, but it usually happened that way for me so I was used to it.

"Did you even sleep at all last night Twitch?" I asked him and he nodded at me, drinking from a coffee mug as he turned to update me on everything he did.

"Yeah, a few hours anyway. I got most of the awesomeness completed and I hit a code writing wall, so I crashed and came back to finish it and everything pretty much flowed. Fucking awesome when that happens too, it is like the clouds have parted and the Gods are smiling on you. No offense Chaos Dude. Wanda was bored, so she kept me awake, she has some wicked powers too." Twitch said and I blinked at him, approving of his new friend and smiled. Loki looked at him and nodded as his eyes scanned the computer screen, obviously trying to ignore the 'Chaos Dude' reference.

"Good to see you are getting along with everyone, How long until you are done Twitch? And di you actually get a shower?" I asked him and he thought about it carefully, he squinted and nodded his head as he looked over at the clock. Turning back to me as he jerked and nodded again to himself, his display bizarre but one hundred percent Twitch.

"Maybe three of four more hours, if everything goes right. I did, I couldn't stand myself and I thought it would help me think." He said and I nodded. "What do you want to call this program?"

"Does it really need to be named?" Wanda asked and Twitch and I blinked at her, Loki watched the three of us and adjusted his green coat over his armor as I thought about it. I was terrible at naming things and it showed, the last thing I named was a teddy bear and I still got grief for naming it Skeletor Sparticus. I crossed my arms as I thought, and racked my brain for anything that sounded good.

"Ouroboros." I said, looking down at my ring, the word just popped out. But the symbology of it seemed appropriate, the image of the symbol fresh in my mind.

"Cool" Twitch said and handed me a pad of paper, I wrote the word down for him on it and handed it back to him. I smiled knowing that I had actually improved my naming skills and cocked my head to the side.

"What does that word mean?" Wanda asked as Loki looked impressed at my choice of names.

"It is an old symbol, ancient in origins. It is a serpent eating its own tail, creating a circle." Loki said and I nodded as I leaned back against the table behind me and looked at Loki.

"I am glad my naming skills are now up to par, the symbol is also a depiction of wholeness or infinity. A never ending cycle that cannot be broken." I said and rubbed the back of my neck. Twitch nodded and gave a jerk of his shoulders, Tony walked up behind us and crossed his arms and we all regarded him. His face said that we probably appeared to be up to something and he did not like it.

"How is our spy software coming along? I am only asking because it annoys Steve so damn much, and I kind of like watching him get all defensive and moral." Tony said and we all gave a bit of a laugh. I did however see Steve's argument against this program though, it was invasive and could be used for nefarious purposes if someone wanted to use it that way. We needed someone with a conscience to keep an eye on it, so that it wouldn't be used in the wrong ways and to keep the people operating it honest. On the other hand, when you had a software package that you could use to sniff out threats all over the world, why wouldn't you use it to spy on everyone? It could save lives and give SHIELD an edge that they did not have before, and I was going to see that it was finished.

"Good dude." Twitch said and smiled at him. "I added some code to it that gives it an even bigger advantage, it can teach itself to identify new ways to get past firewalls without leaving a trace. It will bring us the information we want and no one will ever know they have been hacked, our Kung-Fu is strong and we are the Jedi Masters. Snoop onto them as they would snoop onto us."

"Now that I feel really old, how about you Princess?" Tony sighed and I hid a giggle at his not being the smartest person in the room. I knew he hated it, and I felt a bit smug every time he looked insecure.

"Loki found some floor plans, and information that points to the facility being actually abandoned when they moved their R and D to Glasgow a few years ago. No owner is currently listed, but it is really weird that there is a server left there where nothing is going on. Someone is paying the power bills and the alarms system is still active. It could be a case where someone left us some breadcrumbs to follow, but to play Devils Advocate, it could be nothing and we could be on a wild goose chase." I said and Tony nodded, activity down in the Command Center caught my attention. I stretched my neck up to look over his shoulder through the window behind him, and he turned around and shrugged at the scene below. Business as usual I guess.

"Good job Kids. Fury wants to meet with all of us for updates in a few hours, you can demonstrate your software then. He is curious as to how good this all actually is." Tony said and looked at the mess behind Twitch. "Try to keep your workstations clean, and your ears my feel full until we make cruising altitude too."

"Thanks, I really am not looking forward to investigating another creepy abandoned building though. Can I at least bring a really big gun this time, maybe a bazooka?" I said and stopped speaking as something hit me from Tony's statement. "This thing flies? Like we are cleared for takeoff and please put you tray tables and seat backs in their fully upright positions?"

"Yeah, it flies, no one told you about this?" Tony said and I shook my head and studied him for a moment as I crossed my arms.

"No, when was I going to be let on that this beast flies?" I said and looked at Loki, cocking my head to the side and openly annoyed at the lack of information. Tony chuckled to himself and Loki shrugged.

"Yes, well. This vessel flies Little Mouse." Loki said and smiled at me, Twitch patted his arm and Loki regarded him as he put up a finger to warn Twitch against touching him.

"Dude, you're in trouble, you are better off playing dead." He said and winked.

"Is it really a good idea to have this thing at an altitude where it could crash into people if I loose control?" I said and let my anxiety creep back in, I was still struggling with what was inside me and Tony went over and hit a button on a panel next to the door. The door sealed and a fire suppression system dropped from the ceiling as we watched, I rolled my eyes as they tracked me.

"We actually prepared for that, and if they are fast enough there is a team that can sedate or administer some calm down drugs to you before you loose control. Unfortunately, we really don't want any of that to happen, so try to stay calm Princess." Tony said and I nodded, nice to know they trusted me. Tony laughed at the scene and I crossed my arms and squared my feet as I tried to avoid the moving hoses. Twitch went back to his computer and I looked back at Tony as he shrugged.

"If you guys ware going to make me out to be something I am not, it would cool if you all at least make me a dragon." I said, rolling my eyes an irritation as the system retracted. Loki chuckled at the joke and I turned back to Tony as he rubbed his face and groaned into his hands, his love of my humor showing. But then again, he was not the one who turned into a human bonfire if they lost control of their emotions and slipped.

"Does that equipment dispense marshmallows, if she goes up we may as well have a snack." Wanda said and I rolled my eyes at her and Loki raised a finger in warning. I giggled to myself and crossed my arms, Wanda really had a good sense of humor.

"You should not make fun of this, if she looses control, you will want to be on the other side of that door. I have seen it happen and it is not an attractive end to you." He said and Wanda shrank back as I looked down at my feet.

"Not offended Wanda, just run so I don't hurt you." I said and let her look in my head at my memories of the times I lost complete control, her eyes widened at what I showed her and she nodded her understanding. I was dangerous, and I could kill everyone on this ship if I lost it completely.

"I don't know if I can handle the three of you right now. I know you all have something better to do than pick one another. Please stop making me feel like the Hall Monitor and do something productive or something." Tony said and I laughed at him.

"You are the only one who feels that way, the rest of us are just trying to irritate you now." Wanda said and we all laughed at her joke, Tony groaned and I smiled. It was nice to know that I could still get his goat, and even better knowing that he could still put up with me.

"Don't sweat it too much Tony, we still like you. We are just going to become relentless now." I said and tapped my foot at him, Loki gave a soft chuckle behind me and I grinned. Tony walked away and I turned back to Wanda and smiled at her, holding up a finger and giggling.

"We got off to a bad start, but I really like you now. That marshmallow joke was really good." I said to her and she offered me her hand, I took it and Twitch turned back to his computer and started typing away. Plugging more commands into the program, and giving it the name we decided on.

"I am glad, I do not have many friends here. People are afraid of me like they are of you." She said and I felt bad for her. I knew what that felt like and sometimes that sucked, I let go of her hand and smiled.

"There is a good thing to not having a lot of friends you know. There is not enough of them to stage an intervention." I said and smiled wider at her. Wanda looked at Loki and he nodded, some unspoken thing passing between the two of them and I let it go.

"Yes she is like this all the time." He said and Twitch laughed and jerked involuntarily at us, still plugging commands into the lines of code he wrote out.

"Shut up Twitch." I said and he adopted an innocent expression as he looked up at me from his work.

"I wasn't going to say anything." He said and I crossed my arms as I looked at him, Loki chuckled behind me and walked over to put his hand on the Computer Geek's shoulder.

"I believe your advice was to play dead." Loki said and Twitch shook his head as he laughed.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

New York City. One Month ago.

"I am so glad we could agree on this Mr. Stark." Stephen said as he clapped his competitor on the shoulder and repressed a shudder of disgust. He studied the more caviler businessman carefully, looking for further reason to absolutely hate the man as he accepted the drink from his assistant. She had grace and style, a complete contrast to the sloppily dressed Stark. Her tidy appearance told the world who the real person behind Stark Industries was, and she did not allow even a hair to fall out of place. He looked over the New York Skyline and admired the view, a photograph on the table next to him in a silver frame of a dark haired couple catching his attention and he took a long moment to study it.

"I did not exactly agree with the merger Steve. Ghemma Pharmaceuticals has been at the top of its game recently, but Stark Industries still has a card left to play. That card alone has the Shareholders extremely excited right now, and a merger may throw everything into limbo. That is one thing I can't afford , and neither can the people who have held on with us and not sold their stock." Tony said and Stephen picked up the framed photograph and looked at it. He resisted the urge to correct Tony about the deal and his name, and sipped the warm tasting bourbon as he put the photograph back and looked at one of Bruce Banner. He looked at another one of the girl and smiled at the head shot, and the way her eyes burned with an inner intelligence, resisting the urge to steal that photograph.

"Pity. I was hoping to see your Shareholders even more excited. Lovely girl, is she a relation?" He said, tapping the frame and turning back around to face the arrogant billionaire.

"Friend." Tony said and took a long drink. "But I love her like a sister. Stark Pharmaceuticals is no longer interested in treating illness, we are more interested in curing and preventing. Which is why we are rolling out six new vaccines over the next ten years, and working on a new drug that may actually eradicate cancer cells in humans. All of it is very hush, hush though, don't even think of asking to see the data, because you can't."

"Interesting, but very bad for business Mr. Stark. Your company will loose billions in revenue in result of your medicines being a success. You are supposed to know this, your business and profits should always be priority, not curing and saving the world. Which has become your interest, as of late. Already, the other companies are worried that you are stealing from their profits thanks to your newly designed Epi Pen." Stephen said, testing the waters before continuing. He found himself shocked at the complete lack of caring on Tony's face, the man truly did not care anymore about profit margins or if Stark Pharmaceuticals lost billions to this foolishness.

"The human race deserves to live long, healthy lives. Not to suffer so that I can get a little bit richer, preventing diseases should be a moral imperative of all the big Pharmaceutical Companies. Yours included, and not to be overlooked on how you jacked up the price on your blood thinners. I did notice that one, and I think it was a bad move for you. Life saving medicines should not cost patients three hundred dollars a pill."

"When one company raised the price of the Epi Pen, Stark Pharmaceuticals fired back by making a better, more efficient design and sold it for ten dollars. Our profits actually soared, and we proved that helping humanity by putting people over profits works." Tony said and walked over to pour himself another drink, Stephen looked back at the table of photographs and studied them all. Tony Stark's surrogate family, all on public display for anyone to see. He picked up the photograph of the man and woman again and admired Lilliana, her smile bright as Loki had his arm around her shoulders. Both of them leaning against the railing off the observation deck outside as the photograph was taken. Next to them a photograph of Thor, relaxed on a couch and talking to a red haired woman Stephen did not readily recognize. He turned back to Tony and let out a long breath as the woman took his empty glass from him, his exasperation showing as he glanced back at the photograph. Those eyes, and her soft smile, the way her hair shone with the light.

"Is that an excerpt from your forthcoming TED Talk Tony? Because it is quite good, it would be very inspiring to lead into it with a joke though, just a bit of advice there. I have seen many me try to change the world with words and promises, ensure yours are not empty." Stephen said and admired the view from the tower one last time.

"I will try to work on in. Maybe something about being humane when trying to cure diseases the effect millions of human beings. But maybe that would be rude, I should work on my one liners." Tony said and started on his second drink, Stephen repressed the urge to make a comment about his well known alcoholism, choosing to take the high road instead after the insult that was just thrown at him. He ignored the verbal slap and walked over to the man, offering his hand. If only he knew who he really was, he smiled to himself. Tony Stark would be horrified and shocked, he laughed to himself and shook the other man's hand.

"Always so witty, Mr. Stark. I look forward to hearing your speech then, I prefer to stay out of the spotlight myself. No one has a face to place blame on when the medicines go awry, to each their own though. It really is not my place to judge you Tony, I am a busy man however and hope to speak with you again soon." Stephen replied, his collected exterior betraying nothing of the distaste he held for the man as he continued to shake the other man's hand. Internally, he repressed the new urge to stab the man in front of him to death. Stephen smiled nonetheless, knowing that in a few short days he would be bringing a reign of fear and discord onto the world that would resonate through history for millennia.

"Like you said, to each their own. Sorry to disappoint you Steve, but no part of Stark Industries if up for grabs or a merger right now. With everything I have planned for the company, it would be terrible business to move forward like that. And I have more people to think about than myself, I have an entire planet of people who deserve the best." Tony said as both men walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive, he had some business sense after all or so it seemed.

"Should you change your mind Tony..." Stephen started but the more irritating man cut him off before he could finish.

"I probably won't, but you can still try. Maybe if you considered out new business model, I hear Pfizer is considering lowering the cost of many of their medications for cancer, and some of their patented vaccines. I am pretty sure we started that trend." Tony said and drained his glass, the man was proving to be extremely irritating and someday his world would crash down around him. He would see to that himself if he had to, and laugh in seeing this arrogant bastard broken. The elevator arrived and Stephen stepped onto it, smiling at his competitor as the doors closed between them.

As he descended, a soft ping from his pocket alerted him to a new text. He looked down and pulled the phone from his pocket and opened the message from his hired man Marcel, he had not expected to hear from the man so quickly and was impressed with the Greek's efficiency. The man was always impressive to him however, and he worked so very hard to please The Horsemen. He expected it to take much longer to break the carefully selected SHIELD Agents and to get them to perform as wished, and smiled widely to himself at the message appeared. SHIELD was not known for selecting Agents for their weakness, but every person had that one thing, that one puzzle piece, that could be exploited. Marcel was proving with three words, that Stephen was going to change the world after all.

ICARUS IS BURNING.

In a month, nothing would ever be the same again.

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The Conference room was packed as Fury spoke to all of us, Loki sat on the edge of the table as we ran out of chairs to seat everyone and we all had to improvise our positions. He had one foot braced in my chair next to my legs as Maria Hill was introduced again and she began briefing us about the security protocols on the Helicarrier. We all had to carry or wear Security Badges, no one was exempt and failure to do so could end up with us in a lot of trouble. I turned my badge over in my hands and it looked to me like any other corporate key card to me, a bad picture of me printed on the front with my name and a identification number under the image. Millions spent on this facility, and they could not even take a decent identification photo. It made me wonder if their camera person once worked for the DMV, or at least trained at one for his current job. Loki put his into his pocket on his coat and Twitch clipped his to the faded denim jacket he wore with all the studs and spikes, he actually looked somewhat proud of his. Give a man an honest job, you change their whole purpose for being I guess.

"We are in a state of war, and security will be very tight from this moment on. We want to avoid any mistakes regarding new persons to our group, and some that may be familiar for other reasons." Maria finished, looking at Loki as she spoke. Loki explained to me the last time he was on one of these massive ships, and it did not end very well for anyone involved. On the upside, this time he was not in a fishbowl holding cell designed to drop him from eighteen thousand feet and kill him. There was always a bonus to that, it made it easier to work when your life was not threatened.

Fury took over the briefing from Maria, and she walked toward us. Twitch stood up from his seat and offered it to her, everyone actually looked impressed at his manners and I smiled at him. He may be a bit odd, but he had a sister and he was always polite to women when he could be. Guess that happens when your mother raises you primarily, and you have no contact with your father because he is in prison for something or another.

"I think you are now aware, but we have added a new member to our team. I had my own reservations, but it seems that he is now proving his worth as a skilled computer hacker. He is also working on a new software package that is currently being overseen by Ms. Hawthorne, and may give us an edge in the fight against homegrown threats. This is not an invasion, but a threat from within our own stratosphere something homegrown but still dangerous, I suggest you put any thoughts aside toward this being an off world threat for now. Ms. Hawthorne will explain how this program all works as soon as I am done speaking, and I suggest you all listen closely. This information will be important to all of you, and it shows that nothing will be safe." Fury said and we all shifted as he spoke about what we were in for this time. I was already close to this, but everyone else had to be brought up to speed.

"As you all know, the world was hit by a massive terrorist attack across multiple borders in the last couple of days. Seven places of interest were targeted, and as of yesterday, nearly every country on the planet has closed their borders and much of the world's commerce has completely shut down. Every Military branch around the world is on alert, and we are as well. We do not know how or when they will strike next, but it is guaranteed that they will and we will strike back even harder. Every world leader is looking to us to give them answers, and I do not intend to disappoint them. To give you a magnitude of how much pressure we are currently under as a team, the official death toll of at eight thousand twenty-two. That is not just a number, they were part of someone's family." Fury said and paused, letting it sink in for a moment before continuing. Everyone shifted in their seats, and I crossed my arms as I pinched my eyes shut.

"I do not care what differences you all may have among yourselves. Whatever grudges you may have, it all ends now. Every person on this planet is looking to you and I suggest you not look like a bunch of bickering idiots, and pretend to be a team for the duration of this incident. Do I make myself crystal clear on this?" He finished and we all nodded our agreement. I thought about all the lives lost and I felt myself go pale, they did not ask for their fates and it tore me up inside to think that more could die. Fury turned his back to us as we all sat quietly, he looked at the Command Center below us and then turned back to us and took in a long breath. Turning back to us and gesturing toward me, he knew how hard I had worked and I wanted to impress him.

"Ms. Hawthorne, you have the floor, I suggest everyone here listens closely to what she has to say and listen good. She has insight into who we are facing, and may have further clues to who we are looking for." Fury said and I stood up, I twirled my ring on my finger as I walked up next to Fury and looked at the room full of people in front of me. I was terrible at public speaking and it showed every time I was made to do it, social anxiety could be a heartless bitch at times.

"Some of you already have the information I am going to give you, to others this is new. Some of this is also all hypothesis, but from what evidence we do have currently is that the persons responsible for the attacks are The Four Horsemen Initiative. The person I did have brief contact with claimed responsibility on their part, and he seemed too proud of the chaos to be anything less than the actual person behind it all." I started and everyone actually listened to me. It was a bit intimidating, but I pushed on and hoped that my rambling made sense.

"I have most likely been talking to a spokesperson or leader in their ranks who goes by the code name of Death, and he seems to have fixated on me for some reason or another. If you go by the Judaeo Christian teachings of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, then there are most likely three more top persons in this group with similar code names. Those persons would all go by names representative of the Biblical Horsemen: Famine, Conquest, and War." I said and Clint raised his hand, I pointed at him and he spoke.

"The three other persons are theory though, you have not talked to them right?" He asked, no judgment in his voice as he spoke and I took in a breath knowing that he was trying to guide my thought process.

"That is a theory." I said and nodded. "From evidence, I have very good reason to believe that The Horsemen are also not without financial means, Death actually bragged to me once about his heavily modified Prion Disease that made us suspect a second party was involved in the last case we took on. Through my suspicions, I found The Horsemen using the Deep Web and I was led to another clue as to who they were. We found further evidence in a compromised intern that illegal human experimentation was being conducted by one or all members of their organization on fetal tissues at the genetic level." I said and paused before talking again. Everyone was quiet and I let out a long breath, the nervousness leaving me as I began talking again.

"Their hackers also have to be the best of the best, I have never been counter hacked on a Virtual Private Network before crossing paths with them. They were able to find me in minutes, and use the server connected security cameras in a Starbucks to send a team of assassins nearly killing me along with Steve and Loki, which leads me to believe that they keep sleeper cells in multiple cities close to SHIELD and Avengers headquarters. Lucky for us though, we were more resourceful and their Hit Squad sucked." I finished and Tony raised his hand, I braced for a snarky comment but it never came.

"I remember bailing you guys out, we brought a Hulk to the party. But who do you think they are if they have resources and manpower?" He asked and Fury looked at me, I shook my head as I stood quietly and I rubbed the back of my neck.

"We don't know, the only leads we had were the Deep Web, and the Ammonia Nitrate in the Bombs, but that was all circumstantial until I can connect more dots. No one has really come forward to claim responsibility, and it still could be anyone but it all points to them." I said and Clint raised his hand again, I pointed at him and he nodded. I was starting to wonder if he was picking on me, and Fury looked like he was wondering the same.

"How do you plan to find them? Because it looks like you are as lost as the rest of us here, and we don't have much more to go on." Clint said and everyone shifted in their seats. Twitch laughed into his hand as I waved a finger at him, Fury lowered a drop down screen from the ceiling. I connected to the server and booted up Ouroboros, I entered my administrative protocols and the screen displayed with all learned words in its Lexicon and their values.

"I was actually getting to that, if you had not interrupted me Clint. But since you did, you get to be my subject for my sample run through this system. Do you want to divulge anything before I begin? It will find everything by the way, so you may want to come clean." I said and typed Clint's full name into the search field and I grinned at him as I let Ouroboros assign values to both names automatically. Knowing it would take several minutes, I began speaking again.

"For those of you who were not around for the meeting, you are looking at the newest weapon we have in our arsenal. Twitch is actually the one who gave me the original idea for the program, but this brainchild of us weird kids is the most advanced A.I. Next to Friday. It is capable of learning and working independently of the user and interface, it assigns values to key words based on emotional value and intensity of usage, and can add words it deems necessary to complete a search to its Lexicon."

"On top of that, it is also able to teach itself different intrusion methods to navigate into and through different firewalls and gather the information completely undetected. It will return with any information you want, and it will not even leave a bread crumb behind to show it was there." I said and looked at the screen, Natasha, Clint, and a few others raised their hands and I smiled sheepishly as I crossed my arms. Everyone looked like I had their undivided attention, and it was kind of cool to be a part of creating this program.

"He is Twitch." I said and pointed at the skinny, purple haired rock star leaning against the window in the corner. Three hands went down and I grinned to myself.

"Official Code Monkey." Twitch said and gave an involuntarily jerk. All of the hands slowly drifted down as the readout showed the firewalls it had gone through and the files it was bringing back, the DMV must have been easy but a few of them were designed to be more hacker proof. Not a single blip on any of the agencies collective radars popped up, and Ouroboros was stampeding ahead with its search.

"It just breached Stark Tower in under thirty seconds, any alerts on your end Tony?" I asked as it returned copies of a large file and stored them for my use later. The whole room looked at Tony, who was staring at his phone with a finger up and growing very pale as he looked through it. Ouroboros finished with Stark Tower and the simultaneous attack on SHIELD resulted in a breach. Phil crossed his arms and looked really pale as Maria Hill crossed her arms as well, concern crossing her face. The program continued to work, scanning every server it could, and fetching everything on the shaky looking man across the table from me. Fury leaned against the wall, a sly smile on his face.

"Nothing, not even an alert that something may be happening. What the hell did you create Princess?" Tony said and shook his head. The program found everything and pulled back, Fury looked scared of what we had created suddenly, yet somewhat proud.

"Because we had an actual name to work with, it will come back to us much faster with the information we requested. On top of that, it just learned six hundred and fifty four new words and will finalize them before adding them to the Lexicon and assigning them values." I said as the retrieved files began displaying on the screen, everyone in the room shifted as pages displayed on the monitor and Clint actually started looking very worried. At least everyone here was trustworthy, all that information could be destructive if it was lost or fell into the wrong hands.

"Jesus Clint, pay your parking tickets." Tony quipped and Loki snorted at the joke. I turned back around and saw a lot of nervous faces looking at me, I suddenly got the feeling that this was going to be an uphill battle to explain how the software package was helpful.

"I need to talk to my wife about paying attention to the meters when she goes shopping." Clint said and let out a long breath.

"What is to keep anyone out there from using this software against us? It seems like a huge temptation for anyone to steal." Maria said and I nodded at her, understanding her concern and ready to give her all her answers.

"There is a fail safe written into the code, if anyone tries to hack the program, or copy it to another computer it will copy itself to a server in SHIELD and hide itself. The fail safe also makes it self delete the original that the attempt was made against, and it cannot be traced to where it hides unless someone with administrative rights searches for it. It seems extreme, but it way the only way we could guarantee that it would not get used against us or stolen by another entity. We are also restricting access to the program itself, the only three people with any administrative access right now is Twitch, myself, and Director Fury. Anyone we decide among the three of us to allow access with have to be granted with two of us entering our credentials and our pass codes. We also decided that Fury has the right to remove users as he wishes, even if he decides that I cannot be trusted with the program, I have to surrender my access to Ouroboros and delete myself as an administrative person." I said and Steve raised his hand. I was worried about him asking questions, his do-right attitude could screw this entire project up completely for all of us. If any group had a conscience too, it had to be him. Fury pointed at him and I braced for his question, taking in a shaky breath and waiting.

"I like this idea, but what if it pulls some kid's homework for school in its search? Not many school kids are planning terrorist attacks." He said and a few people nodded at the reasoning behind his question. I had to agree with him on his point as well, and I gave him a quick nod as he sat back in his seat.

"At least we hope they are not, you really don't know kids these days Steve." I said and a few chuckles came from around the room. "The sad fact of life now, is that kids are more aware of the scale of Global Terrorism and that it has become a part of the lesson plan in schools as part of the History Curriculum. The human element of having an actual living, breathing person check the data the program returns to us will be an asset to it being a success."

Steve nodded and people in the room looked agreeable to the new software as Tony continued to glance nervously at his phone, his face drawn with worry as he looked at me and then back at the device in his hand. I knew he was waiting for a report form Friday about the cyber attack, but it was never going to come.

"It is not going to come Tony, you can put your phone away." I said and a few people laughed, the nervousness in the sound showing. Tony darkened the screen and put it in his pocket, rubbing his face and glancing back at me.

"What do you call this program?" Phil asked and I looked at him and smiled, proud of my new naming abilities.

"Ouroboros. The name seemed fitting considering that it will unify all the data in the world for our use." I said and Fury took back control of the meeting, he looked somewhat happy that everyone was open to the new spy software. I returned to my seat and made myself comfortable as Fury closed out the screen and retracted it into the ceiling.

"I have to cancel those credit cards now." Clint said and I grinned at him, served him right for being such a jerk to me. I resisted the urge to announce that Clint would be paying for pizza at the end of the meeting, and just settled for giggling to myself.

"Now that Ms. Hawthorne has shown us our new tool to fight our new and very present threat to global security, I feel the need to point out that we do still have a mission. During out last contact with the Horsemen, we got a very strong lead thanks to our colorful new friend, we found a server still operating in an abandoned research facility outside a town in Scotland called Durness. Call it my need to know, but I want a team to go and check the building out. And if possible, bring the server back for the tech team to see if they can pull any information off it." Fury said and I glanced up at Loki nervously. I had a feeling that this was going to require one of both of us to go. I really just wanted to stay in the nice, safe lab on this one and not end up on another insanity spree.

"Barton, Romanov, Hawthorne, and Loki will make up this team. This should be a simple sweep and clear as the building has been abandoned and there are no listed owners. The former owner however, was a Weapons Manufacturer called Jupiter Engineering, I do not currently believe that a person with several Government Contracts would leave a server behind for anyone to find." Fury said and my hand shot up, something clicking in my mind as he finished talking.

"Something to add Ms. Hawthorne?" Fury said and everyone looked at me.

"It think we just identified War." I said and everyone shifted as they studied Fury's reaction. "Jupiter was the Greek God of war, weapons manufacturers make their money during times of conflict. I have a feeling that whoever owns Jupiter Engineering is the representation of War within The Horsemen."

"That actually makes sense, scary as that seems." Tony said and Fury crossed his arms, studying me as he waited for the room to settle.

"Right now, I am going to give this possible lead some resources, but very few of them. We can't gamble on this one, seeing as though, how we do not have many options or leads to work with. Robert can run a search for the owner of the manufacturer through your program." Fury said and I looked back at him, mildly confused.

"Who is Robert?" I said and Twitch shrugged, giving another jerk as I sat back in my chair and shook my head.

"You real name is Robert? You gave me shit about my real name, and you give them yours willingly?" I said, shaking my head and looking annoyed.

"I had to tell them my real name, this is a legit job." Twitch said and I shrugged up at Loki who was studying the weirdo openly.

""Today just got weird." I said and sighed.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

Atlantic Ocean, Now.

Gregori was tired, and his cargo was making him worry about his sanity. The creatures had been quiet since their feeding two days ago, and it made him very nervous. Quiet was not necessarily a good thing when it came to Stephen's monsters, they could be unpredictable at the best of times. The black bearded Hungarian known under the name Conquest was good at smuggling humans across oceans, but these creatures posed a new challenge. If they were hungry, they would howl for more food and attract unwanted attention. If they were too well fed, they tended to hibernate and moving them into the cargo container for transport could be an issue.

Even in hibernation, Stephen's creatures were dangerous. Two of the hired men found this out the hard way when one fell asleep during transport out of Afghanistan a week ago, and since then no one dared even nudge the creatures if they were resting. They tried to lift the creature to move the beast and it defended itself against the perceived threat, in the most violent way possible. One man died instantly, bleeding out from his wounds in seconds, The other, if he survived, would need extensive reconstructive surgery to live a somewhat normal life. Maybe even his family would recognize him with a new face.

Gregori looked at his watch and squeezed his eyes shut, a headache beginning to edge into his brain and take hold. The first howls in two days had began to echo up from the bowels of the large cargo ship, and he was nearly ready to drop one of the emergency C4 charges into their holding cell just to be done with it all. He could tell Stephen that he had lost control of them and they had tried to escape, he would believe it and be angry but he would get over it eventually. He was more used to human cargo, smuggling people into new countries through dubious means. Forcing them all to pay for their passage through work. The average looking women would clean houses and buildings, men would become farm hands or day laborers, the young and attractive women would end up prostitutes. If they refused him, he had no problems killing them and incinerating the bodies. It was business, nothing more.

No one could ever say that Human Trafficking was easy, but Gregori was good at it. The first rule of business was to find a product that people wanted, could not live without, and you would never truly have to sell it. Fortunately for him, there were so many desperate persons who wanted his product and were willing to do anything to get it. So many war torn countries that people were desperate to flee, so many lives to be exploited using their hope as his selling point. He promised them a new life in a different country, and he delivered it.

Another Howl from the hold ripped him from his thoughts, making him look at the man he hired to Skipper his ship. The man looked pale for an Italian, and his face betrayed his fears. However, the man actually managed to not loose his calm while another howl echoed after the last, making both men swallow hard. He was going to have to feed the creatures again soon, they tended to cooperate so much more after feeding anyways. He looked down at his watch again, he had about twelve hours from the first howls of hunger before the sound became unmanageable. Gregori let out a long breath, making a decision and turning to the Skipper.

"Tell Vasillies that he may allow the Human Cargo to take fresh air. He should also get his team ready for feeding, it is best to get it done and over with." Gregori said. The Skipper immediately moved and picked up the handset, he spoke quickly into it, relaying the message and setting it back down. Another howl echoed up from below and both men shivered in response to the sound, their primitive brains reacting to the disturbance. It would be another day and a half before they reached American Waters and another day before they docked and offloaded their cargo. On the deck below him, living people stood in the sunlight, soaking as much into their skin as they could before they had to return to their hold below decks.

Just a few days more, and then he would be able to relax.

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There are few times in your life, that you can honestly say that you scared the shit out of an entire flock of sheep in Scotland. I am currently proud to say that this was one of those times, and I still say it with a smile on my face when I do.

The flock bolted toward one side of the pasture as Natasha touched down and dropped the three of us off, I grinned to myself and laughed at the protests of the livestock. She immediately dusted off again to circle somewhere above us, making the damp grass wave and swirl about as she left. It was early dawn and it was doubtful that anyone saw us, the receiver clicked in my ear and Loki turned toward Clint and I in his black and green coat and armor. The sheep protested our arrival again, and I returned the annoyance with a whistle through my teeth that startled the already on edge animals and made them run again.

"The building is four miles West of here." Clint said and I nodded as I watched the sheep slowly return to their grazing on the knee high grass. I turned and started walking toward a stone wall, and stopped short seeing Clint shaking his head and rubbing his face. HE crossed his arms and grinned at me, looking amused as I stood facing them.

"Are you guys coming?" I asked them both and they both stared at me incredulously, Loki giving a low chuckle and grinning.

"You sense of direction is still lacking." Loki said and I rolled my eyes.

"We are going to go, but that is East." Clint said and I shook my head, and pointed in the direction I was walking.

"No, I am walking West." I said and pointed in the direction that Clint Indicated. "That is East, now let's go. I'm freezing and I am cranky without coffee."

Loki watched our argument like it was a tennis match, and I crossed my arms and planted my feet. Behind me a random sheep bleated, and Clint shrugged as he pulled a pocket compass out of his jacket and opened the case. He turned North and smiled over his shoulder at me as he handed me the navigation tool and I rolled my eyes, I was heading East.

"You really went old school there Clint, real dick way to prove your point." I said and rolled my eyes at him and handed him back the compass. He snorted at me, and Loki repressed a laugh.

"Don't rub it in ass." I said and he laughed to himself in amusement.

"I'm not the one with the world's worst sense of direction Short Round." Clint said and I rolled my eyes at his joke, trying to ignore the sarcasm he used in the nickname he gave me. He grinned at me sheepishly and I threw my arms out in annoyance, Loki let out a long breath and looked around the field.

"Very funny Clint, very freaking funny." I said and glared at him.

"Are we going to head toward our goal, or do you both wish to stand here among the local fauna and argue more." Loki said and we both faced him in shock, neither one of us believing that he played the part of referee.

"Did he really just say that?" Clint asked and I nodded. I started walking and realized my mistake, groaning and turning back around to go the other direction and heading West. Clint snorted at me and I somehow managed to ignore it, he walked next to me and I shrugged trying to beat everyone in out band of merry miscreants to the punchline.

"Loki hasn't threatened anyone in three months, it makes him a little moody." I said and Clint laughed at the joke, Loki fell into step next to the two of us and we headed toward the building. His long coat trailed through the grass as he walked, and I could tell that he was annoyed at my little joke. He would get over it quickly though, he was used to my teasing and came to expect it. He sometimes dished it right back at me too, we were that kind of insane couple.

"So what did Thor do to land himself in so much trouble?" Clint asked, trying to make conversation as we walked along.

"He nearly started a war with Vanenheim, and is lucky to still have his tongue." Loki said and grinned at his comment, he did enjoy that particular screw up on Thor's part. I just hoped Thor would learn from his mistake, and learn to be more diplomatic in the future. He really was lucky that Odin did not banish him again, instead he decided that making him do penance by training the newly recruited Palace Guards and putting off his coronation for a few more years was punishment enough.

"How did he do that?" Clint said and I spoke before Loki could, sometimes the messy details were completely overrated and did not need sharing.

"Let's just leave it at, there may have been alcohol involved. Like, a boat load of alcohol." I said and Loki snorted at my understatement. I hoped that he would not choose to elaborate on my statement, but I was not exactly disappointed when he did. Sometimes, standing between two siblings in a one up contest was next to impossible, and I was glad to be an only child.

"He compared the appearance of the King's favorite daughter to a pig, and then made matters worse by stating that her scent was that of a rotting dung heap. It sill amazes me that Thor made it back to Asgard intact, he was nearly flogged." Loki said and Clint laughed at the story, I shook my head in exasperation. Loki looked at me, a smug grin crossing his face as Clint continued laughing.

"You know Loki, there is this forest in Russia that the mane of which literally translates to: Do Not Go There. You started where I was at the edge, and just plowed right on in, marching right to the center and bitch slapped every tree on the way through." I quipped and Clint nodded his agreement with my statement.

"In Loki's defense though, you don't insult a man's daughter. There is a good reason they call them 'Daddy's Girls'" Clint said and I shrugged at the statement, Loki gave me a sheepish grin again and I rolled my eyes. We came up on a low stone wall and I carefully climbed over it, trying not to fall backwards. The damn thing had to have existed since the dawn of man, because many of the stones were loose and I nearly fell when when one slipped and shifted under my foot. Loki caught me before I hit the ground and I patted his arm in thanks, nothing worse than falling in what you thought was mud and finding out it was sheep droppings.

"Don't encourage him Clint." I said as we continued walking across another field. The mixture of the sun and the walking started making me warm, but I couldn't take off my coat because the shoulder holster would be visible. It could make things hard on us if we encountered a farmer of another person walking along, Loki would be hard enough to explain as it was. I figured we could go the route of being a part of some Lord of the Rings reenactment, or something equally weird. Thank God for my sense of Poo Culture.

"Are you still convinced that I need encouragement?" Loki said as we walked, Clint laughed next to me and I groaned to myself.

"Point taken." I said and stepped over a large tuft of grass in my way, I could see the building in the distance and I stopped for a moment to point it out to the boys. The three of us watched it carefully for any signs of occupation, but we were still too far away for any reasonable assessment. The gray stonework structure looked like the buildings designer wanted it to blend in with the countryside, and they did a pretty good job of it with the faux stone facade. We started walking again, the grass in front of us got deeper, and soon my jeans were wet up to the knees from the dew that collected on the blades. I nearly tripped a couple of times, but managed to stay upright.

"Next time, let's have Natasha drop us off closer, I'm getting soaked from the knees down." I said and Loki looked down at my pants, Clint pushed on and I thought I heard him let out an annoyed groan. We kept up our pace and we soon climbed over another low rock wall, the cold seeped into my legs and made my knees ache. I did not make too much of a fuss, as I sat on the wall to scoot myself down the other side. Both Clint and Loki rested for a few minutes, so I took advantage of the break to catch my breath.

"We are not that far now." Clint said and I rolled my eyes as I started to feel the cold creep upwards.

"Now I'm cold." I said and stretched my legs out for the sun to dry them, shivering a bit from the damp. Loki walked over to me and used a bit of magic to dry my pants legs and I smiled up at him, Clint let out a long breath and tossed a rock in the air.

"Quit complaining Short Round." Clint said, I crossed my arms and glared at him, getting annoyed with his attitude.

"I like complaining." I shot back at him and he laughed, next to me Loki snorted and chuckled a bit. Clint threw the rock and it bounced off the wall next to me, I shrugged and he found another one as he leaned against the wall on my other side. The three of us enjoyed the view quietly for a moment, and I stretched my neck out to catch some of the sunlight.

"We will take the next few minutes and rest. We don't really have any set schedule, so we have time to spare." Clint said and I nodded. I looked out at the field, letting my eyes fall onto the building in the distance and felt a bit of trepidation creep in. Somewhere in the field behind us, a horse protested and Loki turned his head. I looked over my shoulder and a beautiful brown horse galloped by, flipping it's tail and snorting at us. Clint smiled as the animal stretched its legs and turned, enjoying the freedom of the large field and I smiled at it.

"Beautiful creature." Loki said and I smiled wider as it trotted over to us, I held my hand out and scratched the horse's chin. It nuzzled my hand, looking for my scent, tolerating me a bit more before galloping away across the field, flipping its tail at us as it ran about.

"Don't get any ideas now Loki." Clint said and I turned back around and glared at him, my entire expression screamed for him not to go there as he grinned back at me. I prayed to whatever fate was listening that the conversation would not go any further, but was not at all surprised when it did.

"I am a skilled horseman Barton, you should also know that I am quite fond of the creatures, they have a wonderful majesty to them." Loki said and I continued to glare at Clint, the man struggled not to die with laughter. Mentally, I begged Loki to stop talking and I could see tears forming in Clint's eyes as he fought back against the outburst.

"Lilly must get jealous when you go riding." Clint said, laughter lacing his voice as he choked a bit. I pressed my lips together and fumed at Clint, yet still begged both men to stop talking in my head before this went on further. Clint doubled over and had to put his hands on his knees as he laughed, and mentally I murdered him in twelve different ways. All of them, extremely painful and equally horrible.

"What exactly is so damned funny Barton? I would so love to hear how you find my enjoyment of riding horses so amusing." Loki said and I groaned and buried my face in my hands, Clint nearly fell backwards off the rock wall laughing. His face turned red as he wheezed and I did my best to just ignore the fact that Clint had just successfully managed to get Loki to put his foot into a bear trap.

"He really does not know." Clint said and I looked down at my feet and shook my head.

"Know what?" Loki said and I sighed, why did this have to come up? So much for a nice fucking day, I wanted to shoot Clint in the foot for that one. I let out a breath and thought best how to explain how Loki was actually the Norse God of Horse Fucking, not a fun conversation to have with the guy you are about to marry.

"There are some old stories from the Vikings, told thousands of years ago. You would have been like eight at the time, and they are not exactly flattering. Can we all forget about it now?" I said and Clint collected himself, Loki tilted his head and I looked at the grass. I really hoped that this was the last of it, and I just wanted to get through the next couple of hours.

"Illuminate me, what do these stories say of me?" Loki said and I took in a very long breath, Clint laughed again and I did my best not to cry. I was so mad, I could strangle Clint and make up any story about what had happened to the man next to me. Loki waited expectantly and I shook my head, trying to think of a way to change the subject fast. I could not find a way out of this conversation, so I relented and groaned to myself.

"I am so going to kill you Clint." I grumped and did my best not to shake in anger, my hands curling into fists.

"You and my wife." Clint quipped and I rolled my eyes at him.

"What do they say?" Loki demanded, and Clint laughed again. I pinched my eyes shut and felt tears coming, fighting them and trying not to loose my control.

"Well, Lilly is going to be quite the Step-Mother." Clint said and I let out a frustrated yell and glared at him. He jerked away from me and I tried not to throw anything I could find at him, his face told me that he understood that the joke had gone on too far and he put his hands up in supplication. I glared a hole through him, Loki made an annoyed sound behind me. I had the feeling that I was going to have to end this now.

"Shut up Clint!" I screamed, startling the horse and it snorted as it ran away from us. Loki arched an eyebrow in confusion, his brows knotted and I nearly lost my cool as I slid off the rock wall and started walking toward the building. Clint laughed again at my frustration, and had to take in a deep breath to steady himself.

"No more talking, we have something to do and we need to get it done. Are you both coming, I would really like to get this all over with." I said over my shoulder as I walked, making it a few more paces before a hand caught my arm and pulled me back. Loki glowered down at me and Clint stopped laughing as I tried to pull my arm back, he looked angry and not at Clint. He had right to be, because I did lie by omission to him and I looked down.

"What do the stories say Lilliana Rose?" Loki demanded and I let out a long breath, knowing I was not going to have a good time with this.

"One of them says that you were with a horse and that Sleiphir is your offspring. Hela is your daughter, and that you have a few other children. They are just stupid stories though, nothing more." I said and Loki looked at Clint and I in open shock, he stepped back from me and let go of my arm as he looked around the field. His face a mixture of anger and grief as he studied me, I took a step forward and he put a hand up to keep me back.

"You know I have no Children, the one...the son. He was stillborn, and Elanora." Loki struggled with the humiliation as Clint walked up. He shook his head and looked at Clint in anger, I put my hands out and he stepped away from the two of us. He turned on his heel and folded his hands behind his back.

"Loki?" I said softly, and he looked back at me, his eyes red as his calm slipped. I tried to maintain my own control, and I walked forward. He shifted and ignored me, angry at me and I glared at Clint over my shoulder.

"They are just stories, I know the truth. I know how you lost them both, please calm down. Besides, you were a kid at the time, there is no way you could have done all that." I said and tried to use a nervous laugh to break up the tension. He turned back on me and I cringed back, trying not to look scared but everything in my past caught up to me and I braced for impact. I had my arms at the ready on instinct alone, and did my best not to run for it.

"Why did you not tell me of these lies?" Loki said, regaining his composure as he took in long breaths. I pinched my eyes shut again and tried not to freak out, he stalked toward me and I cringed back again.

"Because I did not know how to tell you, it sucks to know you are the scapegoat for every bad thing that ever happens. I really know that, and the whole subject was uncomfortable." I said and stepped back, finding the one rock in the field with my heel and falling backwards. I landed on my ass and tried not to yelp in pain from my bruised butt, Loki let out a sardonic laugh in front of me.

"Uncomfortable? You have no idea what uncomfortable is, to have lies used against you. To be subjugated behind your back and made a laughing joke for a band of primitive mortals, you know nothing girl!" Loki snapped and I glared back at him, I was tired of him being a primadonna and I was not going to let him stand over me and say I did not know what something felt like. I stood up and planted my feet, the fight of the century brewing inside me as I waved my hand at him.

"I don't know? Do you know how much shit I got thrown at me because someone lied about something I did? Jesus Christ! I could tell you some stories about the garbage I put up with, but did I get mad because of it? No I shut my fucking mouth because it made everything ten times worse for me! I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier. I will admit that I messed up, but you have to believe me when I say that I looked beyond those stupid stories. They never once crossed my mind when I fell for you, and if you don't believe that, then I don't know what else to say." I said, letting my anger melt out of me as I saw sadness cross his face, I opened the wrong bag of cats and one was having problems getting back into it. Something from my past I was uncomfortable came screaming out, and I was going to have to have to elaborate. I was going to have to tell him about it later though, I was not keen on letting Clint see how messed up my head was in the middle of a Scottish field.

"She could have used them against you, but she didn't." Clint offered and I glared back at him. He was so getting his ass kicked later for this one, and I was going to be the one kicking.

"You really are not helping Clint, you opened this can of worms and I am going to kill you still." I said and threw my arms out. Loki chuckled to himself and crossed his arms, I looked for anything to say in that moment and found nothing. It was either he believed me, or he didn't and I was hoping for the first. He shook his head and laughed to himself as he thought about it all, I got more nervous and tried to keep a bit of distance from him.

"You still have explaining to do, and I expect it in full." Loki said and I nodded that I would, I did not look forward to the conversation and hoped he would forget about it in the end. Clint let out a cleansing breath and the horse nickered behind the wall at us, the animal regarding us as strange animals to be studied. I walked forward and put my arms around him, and he relented as he gave me a squeeze.

"I forgive you for that, you were only protecting me from this. I imagine that you knowing the truth is better than believing the lies, don't keep anything from me in the future." He said and I glared back at Clint and put up a warning finger at him. If he said anything more, I was going to come unglued and beat the holy hell out of him.

"Sorry Loki." Clint said and I grinned at him sheepishly, he knew he had screwed up. I felt him not above me and I let out a tense breath, considering changing my name and moving to France for half a second. I pulled away and gauged Loki's face for a half second, he pinched his lips together and patted my shoulder.

"New rule, No using Norse Mythology to pick on Loki." I said and Clint nodded his agreement, I clapped my hands together and started walking again. I stopped, realizing that I was walking the wrong way and turned back and began the correct direction again. Clint laughed to himself and I heard Loki snort at my mistake, I tried to ignore their amusement and kept going.

"Worst sense of direction ever." Clint said and I put up a warning finger over my shoulder at him.

"She once got lost once in the castle for hours, I found her in the kitchens. She was looking for the Library, and claimed that the walls moved on her." Loki said and I groaned to myself, trying to forget that story. I felt my neck turn red, remembering the look on the Maid's face when I opened the door and saw her there with a tray of bread. She was shocked, and tried to console me and directed me out of the kitchen with a small cake in my hands. He hands covered still in flour, left prints on my dress, but the was so nice about the mistake though.

"At least they were nice about it, she was expecting it to be Fandral and was ready to clobber me with a soup ladle." I said and Loki laughed at me.

"I hope you drew her a map for future outings." Clint said and I rolled my eyes ans Loki nodded, chuckling to himself at the idea.

"I may have to do that for her in the future. She once found her way into Odin's chambers, that was an amusing story alone. He sent his raven to fetch me, and I found them both talking together. HE was quite amused in her story though, the one about Harry Potter." Loki said and I did my best to not yell at them both in embarrassment.

"Alright, I get lost easily! We get it, can we just focus on the current for ten minutes?" I groaned, and Clint laughed at me again. I rolled my eyes and glared at Loki, he was obviously getting revenge for not telling him.

"Harry Potter? Really Short round?" Clint laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"I panicked, I needed an excuse to be there, and I played the part of the girl who had a new story to tell him. And for your information, he enjoyed it thoroughly." I snapped and Clint laughed loudly at me.

"He made her tell it to the Council, and direct a play of the story for the people." Loki teased and I groaned, I was getting tired of being picked on by these two. Clint laughed, not even hiding his amusement at the whole story.

"You two have got to be the cutest couple I have ever run into. The trouble maker and the one who needs a map, you better make sure she does not get lost on the way to get married." Clint said and I groaned, pushing ahead through the field as the two men laughed at me. The building loomed ahead, and I did my best to not laugh at myself and pretend to be annoyed.

"Shut up Clint." I said and kept walking.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

The three of them crouched behind another low stone wall and studied the building silently, the day was warming but the grass around them stayed relatively cool. Loki squinted at the stone and mortar building, scanning the facade carefully and heard Lilliana shift next to him to get a better view. No persons came or left through any of the exits, giving them all the idea that the building was actually abandoned. She shifted next to him again to peer over the barrier, and Barton moved a bit to the side so that she could position herself better against the rock wall. The two of them had been talking for the last hour, and Loki found himself a bit amused and somewhat bored by the conversation they shared.

"That is the thing, Laura is really artistic and loves making things when the kids are not driving her nuts. She she started this online store selling her scented candles, and I supported her on that but now we have this stuff everywhere. Perfumes, jars, wicks, bags of wax, it is way too much. And then this woman on the internet gave her a bunch of crap about not having a good product after asking for free candles and stuff, Laura refused to cave in so all that came out and now she is upset about it. The worst part, she is actually doing better business since this brat of a woman started this stuff." Barton said as Lilliana listened, her smile polite and she slid back again and had to use her arms to pull herself back up against the wall. Her stature was working against her, and the loose soil was not helping her find a brace for her feet. She continued to listen to Barton's domestic woes though, and Loki tolerated the conversation as much as he could.

"It doesn't sound so bad to me Clint, people like candles and some scents are really great actually. I am pretty partial to lavender and dragons blood resin myself, but Bath and Body Works makes this cinnamon pumpkin that is to die for. So what if this bitch on the internet slams her stuff for not sending her free samples, it is her business and she can do whatever she wants with it. I hate Drama Queens, they pretend the world revolves around them until someone stands up and proves them wrong." She replied and Barton nodded, he sighed looking a bit sad at everything in his life. Loki agreed with Lilliana though, she should pay no attention to the spiteful woman.

"Well here is the really neat thing about Laura's candles, every one of them had a necklace or a ring in it. She found this company that wholesales the jewelry in huge lots, so she pays like two hundred for a box. Some of it is really nice stuff too, so these damn candles start selling like crazy and she got really overwhelmed. Next thing I know, I get recruited to help make the damn things." Barton said and passed Lilliana the binoculars, she looked through them at the building and slipped again, letting out an annoyed breath as she pulled herself back up and scanned the windows. Her height was continuing to work against her and she skidded backwards again, rolling her eyes and putting her feet against Loki's and Barton's to brace herself better. She continued to look through the glasses, and thought about Barton's problem at the same time.

"I don't see anything Clint, but that sounds super cool about the candles. You get a candle and a surprise, I would give a few of them to people for gifts. You should be supportive of her though, you guys don't have that many things you both enjoy, and it can cut into how much time you both spend together. It may be that Laura feels that she actually gets real time with you, and you guys probably talk about stuff while you both work." She replied and continued to scan the building, Barton let out a long breath and nodded at her statement. Loki rolled his eyes at the sentiment behind what she was saying, but internally he understood the woman's stance. He knew that Lilliana would often meet him at the Bifrost when he returned from his duties away, demanding stories of his travels and trying her best to keep his attention. He would happily indulge her as she would sit, listening intently to him as he spoke.

"That could be it." Barton replied. "Maybe I should pay more attention to her when I am home, it may cut down on her looking so depressed at times too. Want to head on in?"

"We are not going to get that server sitting out here, and I am right. See what happens if you volunteer to help her, you may be really amazed at her response." She said and turned in her spot to but her back against the low rock wall, crossing her arms as they thought about how to proceed with their plan. Loki was a bit relieved that he would not have to listen to their conversation anymore, it was becoming tiresome.

"I saw a back door on the building plans, it is less likely to be seen but we have to hurry there. I could rig the security system or fry it if I have to. Or we could use the loading dock, there is a side door there and it is really hidden from the road." Lilliana suggested. Barton nodded at her, hearing their options and weighting them carefully.

"I like the loading dock, it gives us more cover. And we can take our time with the security system, make sure that it is not going to go off and bring Scotland Yard down on us." Barton said and she opened her coat to remove the gun she carried from the hidden holster, checking the weapon carefully. She pulled the slide back and rolled her eyes at Barton, glaring at him for his statement.

"Scotland Yard is British Clint, jeez. The dock is around back, we should stay low in case they have a camera they are monitoring. Give us some time to get in and snoop around like the meddling kids we are." She said and Loki shifted, rolling his eyes in irritation at the both of them.

"Ruh ro." Barton said and she laughed at his response, their shared joke was lost on Loki.

"Are we going to proceed, or do you both wish to continue your chatter?" Loki said and Lilliana looked mildly hurt at his statement, he regretted saying it briefly and she shook her head at him.

"Someone is still grumpy." She quipped, and Loki let out a breath at her statement, Barton chuckled to himself and the three of them began moving. Crouching low behind the wall for cover as they moved, his irritation had dissipated a bit but he was going to have words with her later about not telling him that she knew about the stories. That should never have been hidden from him to begin with, her omission irritated him worse. Those tales were damaging and if they were ever discovered in Asgard, he would never escape the humiliation.

They rounded the corner of the wall and looked over it at the loading dock, it was perfect cover from his point of view. It was nearly completely hidden from view and opposite the road, it would also afford them enough privacy to act without the worry of being seen. He was also relieved that this was proving to be a quiet and unassuming adventure from his standing, he did not want to have any further conflict come up. Nor did he want to have Lilliana in any sort of danger, Loki sat back and let stiff muscles relax a bit, tension draining from him as he relaxed his posture.

"Looks good to me, on three we run for it." Clint said and Loki saw Lilliana roll her eyes. She reached out and grabbed Clint's arm, winking at him as she put an arm around Loki's and jumping.

"Three." She said, and the three of them vanished from their cover.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We reappeared just inside the loading dock and out of view of the street, Clint staggered a bit, steadying himself as he looked at me with amazement on his face. He looked slightly green and out of place, and I may have taken sick satisfaction in his suffering.

"That is for picking on Loki and making my life miserable for a minute there." I said to Clint as he staggered over to a wall and braced himself against it, looking at the two of us in annoyance. He collected himself and took in deep breaths, his face turning back to its normal color eventually.

"Warn me before you do that again, I almost puked there for a second." Clint said and I heard Loki laugh behind me. I crossed my arms and let Clint get more control over himself before turning toward the door, thinking how to proceed. I walked up the concrete ramp to the heavy looking steel door, using a penlight to check the gap between it and the frame for the magnetic contact point that would trip the burglar alarm. I slipped the light into my teeth and held it there, searching carefully. I found it and flicked open a rapid release folding knife from my back pocket, magnetizing it using some of my power and sliding the blade between the contact points. If it worked, the alarm system would think that the door was still closed and we would have free reign of the building. At least in theory, if I had to fry the whole system, we risked having the monitoring company notice it went offline.

"Don't bump the knife as you walk past it, maybe we will not have to fry the security system after all. It might be kind of fun, to make them scratch their heads over how we got the server out." I said and put my hand over the lock, concentrating and manipulating the tumbler in the door. I turned the knob and slowly opened the door, waiting to see if the alarm would trip, also ready to send out a pulse if I had to. To our collected surprise, we were greeted with silence from the cavern like building beyond.

"That was a pretty good plan there, and remind me to never let you near my kids. You may be a bad influence, and my wife does not need added stress." Clint said and walked into the building ahead of us, I used a brick to prop the door open so that it would not close and hit the knife. The three of us moved into the dimly lit building and looked around the receiving Where House. Loki opened a closet to our right and closed the door after a second, shaking his head to indicate he had not found anything.

"It will probably be near and offices upstairs somewhere, second or third floor. It gets too damp down here and with all the machinery that was used here to load and unload trucks. There would have been too much risk to have it down here, and it could have gotten damaged." I said and we walked across the empty bay, heading toward a set of double doors the led us into the offices. There was a layer of dust everywhere, and it looked like no one had been her for a while, except for some tire tracks in the dust mingled with footprints. All of which looked fairly recent, like a month or two ago. I wondered what was here, and figured it was just equipment being moved out.

"Someone has been here." Clint said and I nodded as we walked.

"Yeah, I can see that, seems weird that they would not sweep up after themselves. They need to fire the maid service." I joked and Clint snorted. Loki let out a breath and I pushed the doors open a tiny bit to peek through the crack, I did not see anyone from my position, and I felt someone crowd me to look as well, making me shove into the door and fall over. I lay on the ground for a minute and looked over my shoulder, Clint shrugged and I rolled my eyes at him in exasperation.

"Well, we just lost the element of surprise." Loki said and walked past me into the lobby, I had a feeling the Norse God of Bitchy Men was still angry about those stories.

"You O.K. Short Round?" Clint asked as I stood up and brushed of my pants, glaring at Loki for his comment.

"Yeah, just checking gravity. Good news, it still works." I said and followed the men into the lobby, it was open and inviting in every way. The large atrium gave a near panoramic view of the fields outside, and a large reception desk dominating it with enough room for three people to work behind it comfortably. The half moon shape of the desk, gave the impression of control and that you would have to announce yourself before being allowed further into the building. Above the desk was a logo for Jupiter Engineering, three crossed arrows with a shield over them, between the main doors was a natural looking water fountain and probably looked nice when it was working. The fountain was long dry though, drained of water and now filled with a fine layer of dust.

"This place screams: 'I made a shit ton of money when Stark Industries dropped out of the weapons game.' How much you want to bet that they still own this building?" I said as we followed footprints up the stairs that led to the upper floors. Clint whistled through is teeth and nodded, beginning to walk up the stairs to the second floor and I followed him up. He opened the glass door and recoiled at the smell that hit all of us in the face on the landing, I jerked back and put my coat collar over my nose and mouth and did everything I could think of to not vomit.

"Someone leave something in the fridge too long?" Clint said and I shook my head, trying harder not to be sick. I was not going to say anything, and took another deep breath as he opened the door again.

"That is the smell of death Barton." Loki said, looking completely unaffected by the smell. I gagged a bit and felt my body revolt, but somehow managed to not loose my breakfast everywhere.

"Thank you so much Loki, I never would have guessed." Clint snapped at him as he opened and walked through the door, my brain in its infinite wisdom turned the odor into background noise and I was able to handle it for the most part. It was still there though, lingering like a nasty memory and haunting me. I tried my best to smile through the whole situation as Clint gagged a bit, coughing into his hand.

"Check closets, server rooms are usually small, sometimes they are ventilated too. Just a heads up for you guys." I said and Loki opened a random door and looked inside, closing it after finding nothing. I let out a breath and looked around at the space, trying to gauge how long it would take the three of us to do a proper search.

The floor was mostly cubicles with three large conference rooms built into the center of the floors, each one a central figure probably separated by a wall. I opened one up and glanced in, using my penlight to look into the gloom and found nothing. I walked toward the end of the floor and found a tiled break area, complete with plastic chairs and round tables. Everything said money, and I walked back to the two men and put my hands out.

"It would be faster if we split up and searched the building that way." Clint suggested and I nodded, looking over the wall of a cubicle and seeing nothing but dust and a forgotten pencil.

"I would not feel bad at all, getting off this floor myself." I said and opened a conference room door, the horrendous odor within slapping me in the face and making me stagger back. I slammed the door shut, feeling myself turn green and I slapped a hand over my mouth and ran for a door that I hoped would be a restroom. Instead, I found myself in a storage closet, and lucky for everyone involved, there was a wastebasket at one end. I launched toward it and gagged, everything in my stomach coming back to haunt me. Clint and Loki looked around the door and I groaned while waving my hand at them, I heaved a few more times and huddled over the garbage can.

Some smells just bring back a lot of bad memories that will never go away.

"You O.K. Short Round?" Clint asked and I groaned while nodding my head, giving both men a thumbs up as I tried not to think about the smell. I slid back onto my heels, and took a few deep breaths.

"Yeah, what the hell was in that room?" I groaned and Loki crouched next to me, his hand resting on my back. I stopped feeling like I was going to heave again, and I spit into the wastebasket in front of me to clear my mouth a bit.

"I don't know, but the really bad news is that we are going to have to find out." Clint said and I groaned at him in response, rolling my eyes. My stomach revolted again at the thought of going into the room and I groaned, not wanting to know what was in there.

"Is there any good news, or should I keep this bucket with me in case?" I coughed, something above my head caught Loki's attention and my eyes traveled up to the shelves next to me. Above my head, blinking away was the server and I nearly cheered at the sight. I reached up, making a light that hovered in the air and slid the black rectangular unit toward me, reading the serial numbers on the back and throwing a mental celebration. They were the same ones that Twitch was able to pull off it through the net, we were in so much luck.

"Is that it?" Loki said and I nodded, pushing the power button on the side and turning it off before unplugging the cables and handing it off to Clint.

"Convenient vomiting is convenient." I said and was about to pull the light back into myself when a jar caught my eye. There was something in it, suspended in a preservative of some kind, and I blinked at it as Clint joined us and cringed openly.

"What the..." Clint started as the three of us looked at the malformed fetus, one eye bulging out of the socket and one arm a twisted parody of the limb. Both legs were fused by a webbing of some sort, and the feet had claws suspended and dead, my stomach lurched a bit but I managed to keep calm.

"That is really fucked up, like one of Clive Barkers wet dreams fucked up." I said and continued to study the dead tissue in the jar.

"Was that a child?" Loki asked and I turned the jar, a number printed label caught my attention, and I read it carefully. It was marked with the number two and the date recorded on the label was five months ago. Clint started photographing the jar and handed off the server to Loki, who looked disgusted as he squinted into a larger jar marked with a six and the same date printed on it. The horrifying specimen a mass of malformed limbs and a single closed eye, it was horrifying to think that human beings were trying to play God. I would have vomited again, but there was nothing in my stomach at that point so I settled for letting my skin crawl. Clint counted seven jars in all, and his mouth dropped open as he continued snapping pictures of them all.

"Anyone else completely horrified, or am I the only one?" Clint asked and I nodded, not wanting to see these monsters anymore.

"Nope, it is like a damn car wreck. You are fascinated, but you don't want to see a body. What the hell were they messing with?" I said in a low voice and Shook my head, making a face of disgust at one of the jars as I picked it up.

"No, I think we are all joining you in the revulsion Barton." Loki said and I nodded, licking my lips and blinking to myself. I put the jar back and shuddered, wiping my hands on Loki's sleeve as I gagged a bit, feeling my stomach churn. I was never this weak stomached before, and I chalked it up to being stressed out and horrified.

"Let's get out of here, did you get photographs of everything you could?" I asked Clint and he nodded, we left the room and closed the doors. I started leaning against the wall and feeling pale, nothing made sense in my life anymore and I hated it. We now had to see what was in the other room, there was not way around it at all at this point. Not looking forward to it was the understatement of the century.

"I am going to call in a team, I think we have seen enough for today. We got the Server, we should just head out and meet Nat." Clint said and I nodded, wanting to leave but we still turned toward the room with the horrid smell.

"Why would those unborn be so malformed?" Loki asked and I shook my head, not sure what answer to give him right then. Clint looked at Loki briefly and shook his head as well, probably not sure of the answer himself.

"Didn't you say that these people were performing genetic experiments on people?" Clint asked and I took in a long breath, catching on to what he was getting at.

"Yeah. I did, and from the looks of it, they started up again. Their first attempts from what we found were just to create healthier, smarter, and stronger human beings. Those in that room, they look almost reptile like in appearance, nothing like they messed with before." I said and shivered at the monsters floating in the jars, it took a really twisted mind to think of the nightmares we had seen. An even sicker one to make them reality. I could not say that it surprised me that Death had thought them up, he guy did create a zombie plague.

"What were they meddling with, to create the creatures we saw in those jars?" Loki said and both Clint and I looked at him.

"I don't know. But if those were the failures, what do the successes look like?" I said and pointed at the conference room door. "As much as I rather not want to, we are going to have to look in there. Fury will be pissed if we don't, and he is going to be on us for everything we observed. His superiors want answers, and we have to give him whatever we can."

"Yeah. Well, ladies first." Clint said and I glared at him, not seeing the humor in his joke at all. Then again, none of us were really keen on going into that room. The smell through the door screamed "Get Out" enough, and it may have been a trick of my brain, but it seemed like it was getting worse. I grabbed the server form Loki and wrapped my arms around it, hugging the device to my chest like a shield.

"Now guys, what kind of lady would I be if I went and did all the men's work? I insist, you gentlemen take the lead and I will follow." I said and looked at the both of them, tapping my fingertips on the hardware in my arms as I grinned at them.

"Women want equality, until it is either a spider of a room filled with something really smelly." Clint quipped and Loki chuckled.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about Clint, I am a delicate feminine flower." I said and put up a finger in warning toward Loki. "Make on smart assed remark about that, and I will shoot you in the knee."

"You almost had us believing you until you made that threat Little Mouse. However, I also think it would be a better idea if Barton and I do go first. Your first encounter with the smell not going so well." Loki said and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Should I just lead in with the threat next time?" I asked and Loki nodded. Clint moved toward the door and gripped the knob in his hand, I put my nose to the plastic case of the server and breathed in the smell of an electronic device, clean and sterile. He turned the knob and pulled his shirt over his nose and I could see Loki brace himself, I readied myself and nodded. In one fast movement, he yanked the door toward himself and turned green as the smell hit all three of us. I groaned as Loki put a pale hand over his nose and mouth, my eyes watered and Clint motioned at me.

"Do that thing where you make the light." Clint said and I formed a ball in my hand, sending it into the room. The nightmare beyond made me regret my actions, and I cringed in abject horror at the scene.

The room had fifteen cages along the far wall, large enough for a St. Bernard. All of them were standing open and empty, and I wondered what they once held and shivered at the memory of the jars and their contents. In the center of the room was two dead sheep, both of the bloated in decay and a thick swarm of flies circling them. Clint gagged and coughed, obviously trying no to vomit from the combination of smell and scene. I backed away from the door, giving Clint room to take my spot and photograph the room.

"I am so not going in there without a Haz Mat Suit and a gallon of bleach to pour over my head afterwards. I suggest we have Fury send in a Forensics Team, there are some things I am just not qualified to do." Clint said as Loki nodded, his hand still over his face. My eyes watered again from the smell and I tightened my arms on the server, Clint shut the door and took in several breaths as he did his best not to vomit.

"What did they feed those two sheep to?" I said to myself and leaned back against the wall, thinking and struggling to wrap my brain around everything I had seen today. Grappling with all the horrible images in my head and trying not to shake, I was tougher than that.

"My guess is whatever was in those cages." Clint said and coughed again, his attempt at humor weak. "Let's get the hell out of here, I could use some fresh air ten minutes ago."

"Agreed Barton." Loki said, looking a bit paler himself. Clint looked at the both of us and grinned, I hugged the server tighter and felt nervous. Something crossed his mind, and he left it unsaid. He shrugged and started walking toward the door to the lobby, Loki and I followed and he laughed to himself.

"You know Short Round, this whole Secret Agent thing may not be the line of work for you." Clint said, holding the glass door open for me, but letting it close just as Loki walked through. I could hear the glare from Loki a mile away as he pushed the door open and let out a breath, failing at hiding his annoyance at the other human on the scene.

"Was it my throwing up, or my reaction to the nightmare fuel that gave it all away?" I asked Clint and turned around at the bottom of the stairs to see Loki glaring at him.

"Pretty much both." Clint replied and I laughed.

"Well for your information, I plan on retiring from this crap when it is all over, maybe taking up knitting or raising horses." I said and Clint laughed really hard at my statement, I cringed and ducked my head between my shoulders. I immediately wanted to retract the last part of my speech, feeling worried about the repercussions.

"Amusing Barton, very amusing. I was physically a child when those stories were told about me." Loki said and crossed his arms, not hiding his annoyance at all. Clint looked back at Loki and snorted, collecting himself briefly.

"It is really hard to believe you were ever a kid." Clint said and even I rolled my eyes, he looked at me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I saw the paintings. Thor too, they were both pretty good looking boys." I said and smiled smugly. "Thor did go through a fugly stage though, it was pretty bad. He was all skinny legs and a weird shaped head."

"Wow, I really can't picture a little Thor running around." Clint said and I leaned against the lobby desk. "It is like trying to picture you as a little girl with pigtails and dolls."

"I never had pigtails or dolls Clint, I had childhood traumas and emotional scars. Now can you two start getting along now, maybe call it a draw? Loki played Yahtzee with your brain, you accused him of fucking a horse, I threw up. That pretty much makes the three of use even." I said and waited as Clint checked his phone for the pickup point.

"Yeah, we are." Clint said and a thumping sound in the distance made us stop what we were doing briefly.

"That is a helicopter." I said and Clint grabbed the server from my arms and we ran through the where house toward the loading dock. I kicked the brick out of the way and closed the back door, pulling the folding knife and closing it in my hands as we ran across the parking lots and dove over the low wall. Clint handed me back the server and pushed me on, yelling for me to run as fast as I could. I could hear both he and Loki on my heels, and the three of us hauled ass in every sense of the words.

So much for a simple pickup.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12.

I ran across the open field as hard as I could, bullets chewing into the ground behind us as the three of us made for the stonework wall. We had no cover, very little for weapons, and no chance of coming out of this alive. On the upside, we probably just figured out the identity of one of The Horsemen.

I did not like our odds though, they sucked.

I made it to the low wall first and used my momentum to vault it, rolling into the landing and scrambling back to stay under cover. A few seconds later, Clint and Loki joined me and we ducked as bullets tore into the wall. Clint pulled a collapsible bow and opened it one handed as he crouched, I stripped off my coat and wrapped the server in it and pulled my gun. Bullets hit the wall behind us, chewing flecks of stone out of it and I flinched as they rained down on me. The shards scraping my skin and causing me to shut my eyes to protect then, the back of my hand was bleeding and healing. There were six men in total and three of us, and they had lots of bullets.

"Nat is on her way, we need to keep them from going airborne. Any ideas on how to distract them so I can use explosives?" Clint said and Loki looked at him, grinning as the man spoke.

"I have one." Loki said, waving his hand and an exact copy of me went running along the wall. He waved his hand again and a copy of himself went chasing after me, both of them drawing not only their attention but their fire as well.

"That really works for me." Clint said and he pulled an arrow with an explosive tip and aimed it, letting it fly and ducking more gunshots. We waited and nothing happened, I looked at the man and groaned.

"Very nice Barton, did you by any chance use the incorrect arrow?" Loki snapped and Clint pressed a button on the bow. The sound of the helicopter blowing up and a random scream became the only sound I could hear for several moments, I glared at him and waited for my ears to stop ringing. I was going to get back at him for that later, he just did not know it yet. That is if I could hear again, which was a positive response.

"I bet you two are fun at parties." Clint quipped and I heard people moving toward us, our cover becoming very insecure in a matter of moments.

"Ask Starbucks Clint, Loki and I are a blast. Everyone knows as well that the amount of fun you had is directly proportional to the number of mystery bruises you find the next day." I said and Loki chuckled behind me. Another round of bullets tore chunks out to the rock wall, making my cover my head with my arms as instinct took over.

"Any more tricks up your sleeve?" Clint asked and Loki rolled his eyes, he pulled a knife and stood up. Throwing it overhand and dropping back down into a crouch as someone shouted and more bullets flew in our direction.

"There are now four of them." Loki said and winked as Clint. I groaned and shifted the server under one arm, feeling annoyed at the pissing contest as I tied the sleeves of the coat around my back to make a carrier for the piece of stolen equipment. I picked up the gun and waited, I only needed four bullets, and I had plenty.

"Well, this is going to be fun." I said as I shifted to my knees and waited for a pause in shooting. I was a good aim, but a pistol sucked at distance I really needed a rifle to get any accuracy.

"Whats the plan?" Clint said and I shrugged, not really thinking of a plan at the moment. Clint and I looked up as something sailed over our heads and came to a rest at my feet, a half second of shock washed over the three of us as we looked at the object. I dropped the gun and grabbed both Loki and Clint, only thinking about self preservation at the moment. I jumped to a safe distance as the grenade exploded and the three of us reappeared further down the wall, rock and dirt raining down on us as we ducked and reoriented ourselves.

"I asked you to warn me when you did that." Clint said and I shrugged.

"Next time I will let them blow you up." I said and I reached for the holster and found the gun gone. I wanted to punch something in frustration, now I was completely unarmed and we were still outnumbered. I really hated our odds at that moment.

"Fuck, they blew up my gun." I said and looked down at my knees as another volley of bullets tore into the rock wall, covering my eyes to protect them from more flying shards. I looked back up in time to see another grenade flying through the air and I grabbed them both again, jumping and reappearing again as the section if wall we once huddled behind exploded. Clint groaned and I shrugged at him, I knew he was happy I at least saved his ass again.

"That is twice you saved my life." Clint said and pulled an arrow. "I will buy you a new gun. A really big one, with a compass."

"My sense of direction is not that bad. And I want a really nice gun!" I snapped and he winked at me. He released his arrow and I heard the distant scream of someone dying as he ducked back down and smiled at me. We covered again as the last three shooters opened fire on us and them paused, making everything very quiet around us as we waited.

"Send the woman over with the server and you two can go! We can do this all day, but you are running out of wall! We will give you two minutes to respond!" One of the shooters yelled at us and Loki looked at Clint, they both let out a breath and thought about it while looking at me. The three of us put our backs to the wall and I shook my head, a grin crossing my face as I formed a plan.

"On three?" I said and grinned at Loki.

"The hand gesture you showed me?" He replied and I looked at Clint, he nodded his agreement and we prepared our response to their demands.

"You two are going to get me killed." Clint said and laughed to himself.

"Yeah, but it will be an awesome death." I said and grinned back at him.

"Three." Clint said and the three of us gave the remaining shooters the finger over the wall. They instantly began shooting again and Clint grinned at Loki around me, both men enjoying my sass.

"I am getting tired of being shot at, do we want to stop playing with these idiots?" I asked and Clint shrugged, Loki nodded and I covered my head again as a piece of rock bounced off my shoulder. I was going to have a bruise there later, I knew it.

"One more chance! Send the woman over and you can go! We just want the server!" The shooter shouted again and I rolled my eyes.

"Give me a minute cock waffle, we are talking it over!" I shouted over the wall and Loki laughed. Clint smiled and I shrugged at the both of them, sometimes I just knew how to make friends.

"You take one, I'll take one. We should probably keep one alive for questioning." Clint said and I nodded, getting an idea of my own to pull their fire.

"Fury might like that." I quipped and looked at Loki. "Feel like making a decoy me?"

Loki nodded and waved his hand, making another me holding the server in her hands as I scooted further down and out of sight. She stood up and held the computer up over her head to show them she had it, I could hear them ready their rifles. If she made a false move, the whole thing was up.

"Send her and you can go!" The talker said and I shivered a bit.

"We are sending her over." Clint said and the copy of me climbed over the wall carefully, Loki watched her to maintain control over my double. She walked toward them and I heard a gunshot, sensing Loki stiffening in anger gave me the idea of what happened. He focused, and the decoy me tilted backwards into the field.

"They shot me. I can't believe they shot me, I was so cooperating too." I said and even Clint looked angry. I peeked over the wall and watched one man walk over to me and kicked me in the foot, making sure I was dead. When he got no response, he shot me in the stomach, and I did not flinch at it. He stepped backwards toward his group and I ducked back down, feeling sad for my double.

"Rude." I said and Loki pulled a knife as Clint patted my shoulder, it kind of sucked being dead. Even if it was fake dead, I may or may not have pouted a bit.

"We got your little bitch there, now we are coming for the rest of you!" The talker said and Loki grinned. I raised an eyebrow at him, getting the feeling that he had something planned for them. I did not pity them at all at that point, they shot me and I wanted to get back at them for that.

"Now for a bit of fun." Loki said and I heard my double emit an inhuman scream as he made her reanimate and sit straight up. One of the men shouted and tried shooting the thrashing decoy, it jumped up and ran directly at the trio. Clint and Loki used the distraction to attack and within seconds only the talker was left standing, my zombie double vanished and I hit him with a pulse of energy that put his lights out and sent him off to dreamland.

"Really? A zombie Loki? Of all the things you could have done, making me a zombie was your best choice? You are such a douche sometimes." I said and Clint patted me on the shoulder, pulling a pair of zip cuffs from his pocket.

"At least he didn't play Yahtzee with your brain." Clint said and I rolled my eyes in exasperation at him. He walked over to the unconscious man and started stripping weapons from the prone man, grabbing an arm and a leg to throw him onto his back. It became obviously clear that Clint did not really care if the guy woke up with a few extra aches and pains, he stripped off the man's combat rig and tossed it aside. He then took the guys rifle and held it up to me as I rolled my eyes.

"Not the point Clint. I don't really like the idea of joining the ranks of the undead, even if it is just an illusion. That was seriously messed up." I said and took the offered rifle, I picked up the extra magazines from the discarded vest and glanced back at Loki. He rolled his eyes as Clint handed me the man's side arm and I struggled to hold my growing armload of weapons.

"You asked for a distraction, I provided one. You did fail to specify the type of distraction you desired, I believe I did rather well." Loki said and I shoved the rifle at him, he took it from me and I glared at him. I put the side arm into my shoulder holster and yanked the rifle back out of his hands, he jerked back at the open hostility in surprise. I did not care at that point if his feelings got hurt, I was so over today. Right then, I wanted a nice hot cup of tea and an awesome bath.

"Nat should be here in five, you two want to hold off on your fight until we get this guy and the scene secured?" Clint said and I stalked over to one of the bodies. I grabbed his arm and struggled to roll the dead weight to take the rifle underneath him. Loki rolled the corpse over and I cringed at the glassy eyes, trying not to look into them as I secured the rifle and side arm. I was not going to give him any satisfaction at that time, and I was further determined to finish chewing him out very soon.

"It was an error in judgment." Loki said and I looked up at him and racked the slide on the rifle back, ejecting the round and pulling the magazine.

"Understatement of the century." I snapped and shoved the rifle at him, turning to walk to the next corpse.

"I have nightmares of becoming one of those things and attacking you, seeing myself as one while awake is not at all my idea of a good time. Please don't do that to me again." I said and he frowned, taking the rifle from me and following me to the next shooter. This guy was on his back and I immediately went to work, checking his pockets for any form of identification as I stripped his weapons. Clint walked up, shaking his head and looking grim.

"We have a problem." Clint said and I handed the rifle off to Loki, he raised an eyebrow at Clint and he crouched down next to me. He grabbed the guys hand and opened it with the palm up, instead of loops and whorls of prints the fingers were completely smooth. He then opened the mouth and carefully pulled the dentures the person wore out and tossed the false teeth onto the man's chest. This was going to be an interesting one to explain to Fury, and I did not want to be the one who did it.

"These guys were good, there is absolutely no way to identify them at all." I said and Loki looked at the false teeth in disgust, his eyes moving to the tips of his fingers as he thought.

"Yeah, I am also willing to bet that these guys didn't even have a medical implant that can be traced. They are one hundred percent clear of the system." Clint said and I groaned, even a pin in a leg would have a serial number on it that would help identify them. I rubbed my face as I thought and Clint was most likely right, these men were complete ghosts.

"Why remove the teeth?" Loki asked and I stood up and pulled my cheek out, opening my mouth to show him the silver filling in one of my molars. I was saving up to have that last one ground out and composite put in it when Thor and Loki took me to Asgard, most of the composite fillings fell out thanks to my gifts and the teeth healed but that one was being stubborn. Loki looked at the filling in interest and I closed my mouth, making my point.

"Human beings, me being the exception, have teeth that decay. In order to prevent the decay from causing infection, we have doctors that can fix the rot by cleaning it out and putting in a filling. X-rays and dental records can help identify people when no other means can be found, no one has the same dental procedures done so they are unique. Now we can only hope that one of them has a pin or a screw in a leg, but these guys were too good." I said and crossed my arms as I thought about possible ways to proceed, DNA could be wiped from the system and that may be another dead end. I looked down at the body and the last living man started to wake up and groaned into the grass, I lacked any pity for the man.

"Our new friend is waking up." Clint said and walked back over to him, he bent over and pulled the man into a sitting position by his arm. He groaned in pain again and glared at the three of us, trying to show us what a hard ass he was. He tried to stand up, but Clint shoved him back down hard and he grunted from the force of the wind being knocked out of him. I crossed my arms in front of him and glared down at the man, he looked at me and smiled.

"What's your name?" I said and he glared up at me. He leaned forward and spit blood onto the grass between his knees and smirked at us in defiance.

"Winnie the Fucking Pooh bitch." The guy said and Clint kicked him over, on the horizon I could see the jet coming back for us with two more in tow. Probably the team coming to collect any more evidence they could find from the building, and from the bodies. The guy groaned as sat back up, laughing to himself as he looked at all of us.

"We know that whoever owned the building is a Horseman, give us the names of them and maybe we can cut you a deal. Save you some prison time, maybe I will keep Loki off of you before he turns your brain into applesauce." Clint said and the man looked at me, running his tongue over his empty gums and making me shudder at the sight. I let my face show that I was disgusted by him and he laughed, looking back at Clint in amusement.

"Dead men are not members of The Horsemen." Was all he said and sat back as he laughed again, the sound frightening to us as the roar of the jet engines drowned it out. We stood quietly, trying our best not to go crazy and I knew it was true. This guy was not a Horseman, he was a ghost.

He paced the length of the jet as it landed in the docking bay of the Helicarrier, his thoughts his own as he glanced at the man strapped into the seat. He smirked and followed Lilliana with his eyes, Loki wanted to strike the man to teach him that she was not alive for his entertainment. However, he managed somehow to make it his business to ignore the mortal, instead he watched her as she spoke to Barton. Their voices low as the sudden jerk of the jet threw her off balance, her hand braced against the hull and she nodded at him. She turned and walked toward him and Loki opened his hand to her, she smiled and slipped her fingers into his. The prisoner watched the affection and he chose to ignore the man. She looked drained, the use of her powers making her look drawn and stretched thin.

"This one is going to be tough, they are going to take him to a cell for the time being but there is nothing to positively identify him. No teeth, no fingerprints, nothing. Clint said that Fury is going to use Wanda to get the information that we need. I just have a feeling this is another dead end." She said and Loki nodded, thinking that this man would be difficult for even Wanda to get through to. He had hope though that the woman would be able to get all of their answers for them, then this would end for all of them.

"Something else is troubling you, what is it?" He asked her and she looked down, her worry evident as he watched her closely. Loki was more adaptable than she was, and he had caused her to feel discomfort because of his illusion. He raged at himself for that, and turned her face up to him.

"Those things, in the jars and the cages. The managed to once again make something horrible, and that thought of that scares me. And what that guy said about dead men, what if we just keep hitting dead ends. Where does it all end?" She said and bit her lip, worrying at it as the man in the seat laughed. She flinched at the sound, and closed here eyes starting to turn to regard the mortal and Loki stopped her.

"Ignore him, he is trying to cause you to feel inferior." Loki said and looked over her head at him, warning him with his eyes to be silent. Two armed guards boarded the jet and took the man away, the man still taunting them with his laughter as they pulled him along. Forcing the man down the ramp and he continued to laugh, the sound filled with malice.

"Your computer designs are clever, and there may be something of use on the device we took from the building. Believe in your skills Little Mouse, they may serve you yet." Loki said and she nodded at him, allowing him to guide her down the ramp and toward the elevators. She stopped and tensed for a moment, shaking as she looked at the lifts.

"No." She said and shivered, her eyes widening at the hated things.

"You are going to have to use them, there is no other way." He said and her hand gripped his bicep. She shivered and he pressed the button as Barton walked up and studied the two of them. He took her other hand and patted her back, the gesture friendly as the doors opened and they led her on. She struggled a bit, but relented.

"You can do this Short Round." Barton said and pressed the button for the floor they needed. Her hand tightened on his arm and her fingertips dug into it as the doors closed. A slight jerk indicated that they had begun their descent, Barton remained calm and it seemed to help her as they continued to move along.

"Not so bad now, we are almost there." Barton said and cringed as her hand tightened on his. "You know the last time a woman crushed my hand, a doctor was telling my wife to push. For a tiny little thing, you have a grip."

"I am not above stabbing you with a fork Clint." She said and did everything she could to regulate her breathing, Loki chuckled at her thread and Lilliana glanced up at him. The fear was evident as the floors passed by, and she shivered again.

"It is a good thing she does not have a fork Barton." Loki said and the doors opened outside the lab, she bolted from the elevator and stood against the opposite wall with her face against it. She pressed he hands against the wall and shivered, Stark and Banner looked in the space at both men and then back at Lilliana.

"I've read about this." Stark said and watched the two men exit the elevator. "It is called Immersion Therapy and is the best way to treat phobias."

"Fuck you Tony." Lilliana said and turned back around, glaring at everyone in the hall. She pushed off the wall and stalked toward the Lab, slapping the button to admit her and keeping her face low. Through the windows, Loki could see her collapse into a chair and continue to shake. Gradually, she pulled herself together but her face revealed so much more.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13.

Plum Island, New York. Two hours ago.

Daniel StClair, who acted as Famine sat at the conference room table and picked at the food in front of him. The assortment of fresh fruit, steamed vegetables and Sea bass was unappealing to him, he had been in his position since the founding of the group and it was falling apart. Ripping itself to pieces form the inside, and the cracks in Stephen's empire was showing. No one dares to say anything though, it was not wise to speak against anything with Marcel in the room.

Part of his mind found it funny that he, a man who owned one of the largest grain produces in the world would be given the title of Famine. However, people in his home country of Sierra Leone did starve while millions in profits were made every day on their suffering. He continued to study the plate in front of him as Marcel, Stephen's man paced the room causally, finally relaxing back into a chair.

The Greek made Daniel nervous, the way he stayed so very calm and collected, no matter what was occurring around him. Many spoke of Stephen's pet psychopath, whispering about him as if he were a monster that lurked in the shadows of their bedrooms at night. A stalking demon that killed for fun and not out of survival, the worst kind of killer in his mind. He let out a long breath and set his fork down on the table and thought about their successes so far, they had every country on the globe scrambling for answers. All of the people of every county looking to their heads of state, and those leaders looking to SHIELD, even Fury and his people had nothing to give them in return. Everyone was in the dark, stumbling about with their hands in front of them and their darkness was getting deeper with no sign of dawn on the horizon.

"Gentlemen, I am pleased to say that Phase One was a success, we in the last forty-eight hours have left quite a mark in the world. Global trade and travel is currently at a standstill, France is in chaos and riots have broken out in Cairo again. England is even in turmoil as the panic we have created has started to spread like fire in dry brush, we are true masters in this game. We have caused the dollar to depreciate, the Euro to collapse, and all governments have ordered a shutdown of stock and bond trading in their respective markets. Even stock in the tech industry is at an all time low, we should be so very proud." Stephen said and Adam raised his glass of wine in a salute toward the man. The Scotsman was wobbly, and some wine sloshed out of the glass as he swayed in his seat. However, Stephen did not notice, or pretended to not because he was proud of himself. The success was good news to all assembled, but it was fleeting.

"Aye, it has been a good work fer ye, but we still don't have the little bitch do we? She should be here, dancin on the table fer us. Showin us her panties, and titties." Adam said and Marcel stood calmly and walked around the table, stopping and standing over the drunken Scott and waiting for his orders. Even Daniel knew, you did not insult the woman in Stephen's presence. She was his obsession, and not without cause. She was beautiful and powerful, both combinations to make any man worship at her feet. Stephen waved his hand, glaring at Adam and the Greek backhanded the man. Adam rocked to the side from the force, his hand immediately cradling the injured cheek as he looked around him in shock.

"It would do well for you to not insult her, seeing as how they started raiding the abandoned research facility that you failed to clear of evidence. I should warn you as well, I am very disappointed that evidence was left behind Adam. They could use this to stop Phase Two, you are skating a very thin line with me and I will demand something in return for your shortcomings soon. You are extremely lucky that I am not currently allowing Marcel the indulge in his...hobbies. I am sure he would enjoy turning you into a piece of art." Stephen hissed and steepled his fingers under his nose, Marcel walked back to his seat and settled back into it. The quiet man straightened his tie, smoothing the neat lapels of his suit jacket and looked down at his nails casually. The creepy bastards blood pressure probably did not even spike during the violence.

"The pretty woman will be ours soon Adam, we must be patient. Stephen always has a plan, have faith." Daniel said and sipped his wine, he knew how much of a contrast to the white men around him he was, but was always treated as an equal to them. He appreciated that of the man at the head of the table, and because of it Stephen had his loyalty.

"Thank you Daniel, your continued loyalty is always appreciated. Is everything ready for Phase Two at your end?" Stephen said and gave the man from Africa a look that told him not to disappoint. He was pleased to say he would not, Daniel wiped his mouth with the napkin and smiled at his leader, ready to please the man and earn favor.

"Ahead of schedule, the current famine in Ethiopia has made their masses desperate. The shipment of bread from my factories arrived yesterday for distribution tomorrow, all of it laced with ricin as you instructed. Thousands of people, weakened by starvation, will die within hours of eating the bread." Daniel said and Stephen smiled and laughed, clapping his hands in joy at the news. Daniel knew he should feel some semblance of shame for what he was about to do, but he did not. For years the United Nations ignored the growing crises in Africa, thumbing their nose at the suffering that was happening there. This would bring attention to the continent and force them to act. All the while, destroying the credibility of the Ambassadors who pretended to care during the day and returned to their lives of wealth and privilege at night.

"Good, because we have four other attacks planned at the same time. All of them will serve the create the fear we need to further destabilize the world, the population will not know what entity to look to for safety. When no net to catch them is found, we will have the world at a crossroads." Stephen said and raised his wine glass in a toast, saluting his genius and celebrating his plans. Everything on his face jovial, and betraying nothing of his anger from moments before.

"Do we get ta know what ye are plannin?" Adam said, pressing a cloth napkin to his face to clean the blood from his lip, both Daniel and Stephen glared at the man who had nearly ruined all of their plans with his stupidity. Marcel folded his hands and popped his knuckles, each crack sounding like a gunshot in the too quiet room. Daniel settled back and closed his tired eyes, rubbing them both with one hand and let out another long sigh.

"I wish to keep it a secret for now, but you will be so surprised and proud tomorrow of what we will accomplish through the acts. They are very impressive gentlemen, and meant to make a very loud statement." Stephen said and smiled, both of the other men in the room grew concerned in their wonder of what was going to happen when the sun rose the next day. They began to wonder if their leader had lost his mind and given into madness, worried for their own safety as well.

Marcel cracked his last knuckle and smiled to himself, and the smile made Daniel shiver despite the warm room.

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I sat up in the bed and rubbed my face, it had been a long day and I felt like I had been dragged naked over a gravel road. I was drained mentally, and still processing the shit floating in my head. I was having enough of playing soldier, and wanted to go back to being a civilian. After eating, Loki and I returned to the room they had set up for us and we both crashed. The world could have blown up around us and I would not have noticed, it felt good to sleep that hard.

Fury expected a full report from the three of us, and I could only shudder thinking about how they were going to extract information from the John Doe we currently held in a cell somewhere on this flying city. I looked out the window at the clouds in the moonlight and watched them float past for a long time, not really thinking about anything in particular when I felt a warm hand on my back.

I turned and looked over my shoulder at Loki and smiled at him, his hand closed and he rubbed my back through my black tank top with his curled fingers. Every small movement sending electric shocks through me, I curled my knees up and returned to watching the clouds. Crossing my arms over my knees and resting my chin on them, I let out a long breath and just enjoyed the contact from another person.

"Did you have another nightmare?" He asked me and I smiled, shaking my head to say no. He frowned and sat up next to me his hand cupping my cheek, turning my face to him as he looked into me.

"I'm not lying silly pants, I just woke up. I slept really hard and it was nice." I said quietly and he nodded as his lips found mine in the dim light, I felt a tiny shiver travel through me and I smiled as he pulled away. The hand on my back slid around my waist and tightened around me, pulling me closer to him as our lips met again. I straightened my legs and giggled at him, a naughty sparkle in his eyes. The hand on my cheek slid down my neck in feather light touches and over my collarbone. The lightest touch as it drifted down, moving slowly. His fingers drifting across my skin and shirt ghost like down to my waist, his hand finding purchase on my waist and pulling me close to him. My breath came out shaky as his fingertips traced circles on my stomach and slipped up under the top, resting against my belly and making the muscles jump at the contact.

The hand around my waist braced me on my lower back as he pulled the shirt off over my head, laying me back on the pillow. My arms wrapped around Loki and he slipped his knee between my legs, his hand cupping my breast as I pulled him closer. He kissed my neck and slowly trailed lower where he paused and chuckled into the skin of my stomach. My hands sliding over his back, and sighing into the ceiling above us.

"This is usually where Stark walks in." He said and I laughed as his hand squeezed my thigh and the other traced the Cherokee Rose tattoo on my hip. My breath catching in my throat as he pulled my panties down to kiss the flower, his lips so warm and soft as they grazed my hip. I bit my lip and sighed as his arms circled me and pulled me close to him, my hand found his shoulders and my breath caught again. His hands tightening around me and sitting me up in his lap, I kissed him long and hard the reciprocation of lust there.

"Then hurry up before he does walk in and love me." I sighed into his ear, he pushed me back and his lips found mine as he eased the last barrier between us off of me and freed himself from his pants, throwing both aside as he kissed the spot over my heart and his hand drifted between my legs.

He buried his face into my neck and I closed my eyes, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses along my shoulder, his hand leaving me and gripping my hip as I sighed. My fingers working into his hair and he smiled up at me, I returned my lips to his mouth and he held me closer still. I never thought I would ever want to meld into another person, become a part of them, but in that moment I wanted to be so close to him.

He kissed down my neck, and along my collar bone, pausing to lay me back onto the bed again and his hands slid into mine, our fingers linking and he paused. His face looking into mine and he grinned down at me. A sparkle in his eyes as I smiled at him.

"Do you truly think I need to love you this way when there are so many more wondrous ways to give you adoration?" He said and lowered his face closer to mine, his lips barely brushing mine and he whispered: "I locked the door Little Mouse."

His lips crashed into mine and I wrapped myself around him, laying back and feeling alive. My skin covered in electric shocks as he pressed into me, my heart pounding as he was so gentle and loving. His arms holding me to him tight. Outside, the world moved on, but this was ours, tonight we were our own company and no one could touch us.

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I turned the printouts from the file in front of me over, looking at each of the pages as Loki scanned the page in front of him. Everything we recovered from the server was on the table in front of us, and none of it anything of interest. I picked up a grape and put the file of shipping manifests aside, Loki grabbed my wrist and guided my hand up to his mouth. Stealing my grape and grinning at me as he chewed, I looked over at Twitch who was asleep in his chair.

"Sly fox." I said, giggling and gave him a sly smile as he grinned back at me. I picked up another grape from the plate in front of me, tossing it at Twitch and hit him in the side of his head. He jerked awake and rubbed his face, shaking a can of Red Bull and found it empty.

"Ten points Princess." Tony said and walked in with another stack of file folders, I groaned as he put them in front of me and rolled my eyes. Not hiding my annoyance or exasperation at all, I rubbed my face and gave him a look that asked him why he hated me.

"Another five files of work orders and shipping manifests, so much fun." I said and tapped the table. "The only thing we found that may be anything remotely interesting is these shipping manifests out of Afghanistan from a few weeks ago. One container to be loaded on a ship in Saudi Arabia and the destination is unknown."

"This may be something, the ship is Hungarian in origin and called the Rozsa. I will plug this into Friday and see what pops up." Tony said and took the small stack of pages from me, I picked up another file folder and opened it. Groaning and putting my hands over my face as I read the top sheet, my eyes were starting to cross and I needed a break. Like really bad.

"You couldn't just have Friday do a deep scan on the server and bring you back the pertinent information?" I moaned and Tony rolled his eyes at me, he crossed his arms and looked down at me.

"This is what Friday brought back to us, the printer ink budget for SHIELD was blown an hour ago. And only twenty percent of the drive has been covered. Sometimes this job is extremely boring, and other times you get to blow stuff up. That is how it works." Tony said and we all looked over at Twitch as he let out a long snore. I rolled my eyes and flipped through the pages, trying to stay awake as I scanned them. I closed the file folder finding nothing and opened another one, the pages in front of me making me mentally scream. Tony looked down at me and my face must have said everything.

"Tony, where is Fury now?" I asked and read the next page in front of me and turned it over in the file, I yanked the shipping manifesto out of his hand and spread everything out on the table in front of me. The ship was linked to this nightmare scenario somehow, but I did not know how.

"He is in Scotland, overseeing the evidence clean up. What did you find?" Tony asked as Loki picked up a page and read it, he looked at me raising an eyebrow in question.

"What is Ebola?" Loki asked and Tony turned pale, Twitch woke up like a shot and turned in his chair and looked at the three of us. The mention of the word causing the room to go dead quiet, Tony grabbed the page out of Loki's hand and I shivered.

"They weaponized Ebola and intend to use it against population centers in the next part of their plan, they call it Phase Two." I said and Twitch handed Loki a tablet with an article on the virus displayed. His eyebrows knitted as he read about the infection that was extremely deadly to human beings. He let out a long breath and swallowed hard, handing the computer back to Twitch.

"This just got worse. Like way worse, people are going to die and we don't know where they are going to strike." Tony said and I nodded at him.

"Very much so, this illness sounds horrifying without it being used as a weapon." Loki said and I handed him the paper in my hand.

"Time of death from exposure is three minutes. All internal organs, including the brain hemorrhage. The victims literally die drowning on their own blood, according to that page there." I said and Tony looked pale, Twitch turned back to his computer and I handed him the manifest printouts. He obviously did not know how to react, so I guided him into action.

"Put this ships name into Ouroboros, find me the owner and give me his name Twitch. It will be buried like whoever owns Jupiter Engineering, we may have found the identity of another Horseman on accident." I said and Twitch started the secondary search, typing in the new parameters and looked to me for more instruction.

"What Cross references on this one?" Twitch asked and I looked down, flipping through the manifests and looking for a comm on link but did not find one. I shook my head and glanced back at Tony, wondering if he had any input and also knowing I was right about this. That particular ship had come up too often in the shipping orders for it to be a coincidence, this was a link and I was going to follow it.

"Just run the name of the boat, that is the best we can do for now. When the name of the owner comes back run that and bring me back everything you can. We need to know where that ship as been and where it is now. Unfortunately, we may not be able to find it until they are logged by a harbormaster, many ships don't keep computerized logs or don't update them until they dock in their home port." I said and gathered up the pages quickly, walking toward the door. "I need someone to fly me to Fury, he needs to see this and right now!"

I ran toward the elevator and hit the call button for the car to arrive, mentally preparing myself for this next step in that steel coffin. Loki and Tony followed me and I grabbed the forgotten page back from Loki, both men looking anxious as we stood in the hall.

"You sure you can handle that again? You almost fainted the last time, I have a better idea for you to show him all this anyways. Technology works, you know?" Tony said and pulled me back to the lab, I dropped several pages in my juggle and Loki rolled his eyes and picked them up. He followed us back and waited as Tony prepped a tablet for me to use. Loki sat down in a chair and handed me the dropped pages, I saw Fury pop up on the screen. His face grim from all the work he had been doing at the building, he was less than overjoyed to see me.

"Ms. Hawthorne, this had better be important because I am currently extremely busy at the moment. You are in fact, pulling me away from evidence tagging." Fury said and I licked my lips, swallowing hard. His expression changed when he saw my face and I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered, the pages crushing to my chest and wrinkling.

"They weaponized Ebola and are planning to use it in an attack on several unknown sites in the world. How is that for important, or do you want to talk about your crush?" I said and Fury reacted in a way I have never seen him look before, worry and shock crossed his face. I nearly fell apart completely then, the look he gave me shattering every illusion of what I thought he was. It was like seeing Dan Rather cry on a talk show in response to the World Trade Center Attacks, to see someone who had to stay stoic fall apart for a fraction of a second was earth shattering. He composed himself and looked into his phone, thinking before continuing and giving instructions.

"Send me what you have now, do you have a name for me yet?" Fury said and I looked over the screen at Tony, he was typing on a computer and put a hand up to tell me he was using Friday to help.

"On it Princess." He said and I nodded at him. Fury gave several instructions to someone off screen, I waited for him to finish and he looked back down at his phone.

"Not yet, but I found a lead that my point us to a second Horseman. A container ship from Russia, we are running a search on it now. Hopefully, something will come up on it and we will have a starting point toward finding them all." I said and Fury tightened his jaw, I tried not to look afraid at the expression. He had a habit of threatening to put me in a coma in the past, I did not want to make him mad enough to act on it.

"Notify me the second you have a name Ms. Hawthorne. I have faith you will have something for me soon, use that brain of yours that Stark keeps bragging about." Fury said and I smiled into the camera, I was glad he was not royally pissed at me for contacting him. I felt it was important, and it turned out to be. Saying I was relieved was an understatement.

"Thank you. I will be shuffling through the data on the server we got. Maybe we will get lucky and it will have something more." I said and Fury disconnected the call. Tony walked back over to me and I handed him the pages and the tablet, he smoothed the wrinkles out of them and crossed his arms at me.

"I really hope they are not planning on using this virus anytime soon." He said and rubbed his face. I nodded my agreement and looked over at the stack of file folders and closed my eyes. There was still so much left to go through, and none of all this made any sense. Why leave a bomb like that on a server in the middle of no where? Why leave the server at all, what was their game here?

"Am I the only one here who thinks they wanted us to find that server?" I asked Tony and Loki regarded me with interest, he was trying to follow my thought process and the train of thought was pulling into the station. I sat back in the chair and looked at the both of them, Twitch even took a vague interest in what I was saying.

"I think I am following you Princess, but I think you just floored it and the cops are on your tail right now." Tony said and I rolled my eyes, mentally groaning at him.

"Are you in the belief that they are leaving you a trail to follow?" Loki said and I pointed at him while nodding and staring at Tony. He rolled his eyes and sighed, looking at Loki in mild irritation.

"Will you not encourage her? Next thing you know she will have a tin foil hat on so that The Horsemen can't read her thoughts, I am surprised she does not have her foil panties on so they can't control her reproduction." Tony snapped and I groaned at him. This was turning into a genius pissing contest again, and I pressed my lips together and crossed my arms at him.

"Think about it Tony, why leave a server full of information that is completely mundane, with the exception of one little glimpse into their nightmare scenario, in the middle of an abandoned research lab in the middle of Sheep Fuck Scotland? Also, said lab is overflowing with evidence, which is also more proof that they are up to something very nasty. This was a breadcrumb left on the path, I know it. So put your ego away, and grow the fuck up." I said and Twitch raised his hand quietly, his eyes following everything we were both saying. Loki crossed his arms and nodded at my train of thought, silently agreeing with me.

"They could have just gotten sloppy, maybe we caught up to them before they could clean up their mess. Who knows the reason for it being there." Tony said and I rolled my eyes.

"Dammit Tony, are we really going to go through this bullshit again? Because I am so tired of your fragile ego and your constant need to be right. Can't you for one tiny moment of your life, not really a full minute, admit that I may be onto something and leave it at that?" I said and crossed my arms as I glared at him. Twitch continued to raise his hand and Tony let out a long breath, the fight was far from over.

"Can you admit that not everything is about you Princess? Put your hand down Prince of Darkness, this is an adult conversation." Tony said, adding venom to his nickname for me, It was dripping and Loki's jaw hit the floor in shock. I shook my head in shock, not believing what I had just heard come out of his mouth.

"Excuse me?" I said and stood up. "You did not just say that to me. Because, and just in case you forgot, they stole a vial of my blood out from under your nose. This is so about me. Did you casually forget that one, or should I play you back the video?" I said and stared him down. Twitch put his hand down and Loki walked forward to break up the fight before it escalated further.

"Go tell it to your shrink Princess, and I am pretty sure he knows plenty to get you committed as it is. You are certifiable, you head is a piece of glass and it is ready to break under the pressure." He said and I snapped. Before anyone in the room could stop me, my hand curled into a fist and it snapped out, catching Tony square in the jaw and spinning him around. I had never really hit anyone that hard before, and my hand throbbed from the contact. He leaned back against the table behind him and shook his head, he was definitely thrown for a loop and I impressed myself. Loki grabbed me around my shoulders and waist, I know he was keeping me getting into more trouble that I already was but I was pissed.

"Don't you ever fucking say that to me again!" I screamed at him and Loki tightened his grip around my waist. "You couldn't handle five minutes of walking in my shoes, let alone a second inside my head. You have no damn right you son of a bitch!"

"Calm down Little Mouse, you made your point painfully clear to Stark. Calm down, before you loose control." Loki said as I turned and buried my face into his chest, I knew that my problems were going to be a joke for everyone here. I just did not think it would ever be used as an insult, and thrown in my face like that. I cried and tried to hide in his coat, but even I was not that small.

"That was completely out of line." Steve said from the doorway, none of us noticing when he had walked in. I looked over at him as he crossed his arms and glared at Tony. I felt deflated and I pushed away from Loki, but he held onto me. I wiped my face on my hands and looked down at the floor, I was ready to get chewed out.

"I shouldn't have hit him for that." I said and continued to keep my eyes on the floor, feeling shame creep in for what I had done. Steve laughed and shook his head, pointing at Tony and looking back at me.

"Actually, I was talking to Tony, and you should have hit him harder." Steve said and let out a breath, Tony rubbed his jaw but did not receive any sympathy from anyone in the room.

"No, that was pretty damn hard for a short chick." Tony said and I glared at him, short jokes were where I drew my other line. Loki grabbed me again and held me back, he knew never to make fun of my stature and he learned it in a very humiliating way.

"Choose future words wisely Stark, I do not think you want her angrier with you." Loki said and I rolled my eyes at the room in general.

"I really came in here because there is something on the news you all need to see. The Horsemen struck again, and this time, it is really bad." Steve said and I felt the ground tip sideways, the look in his face spoke volumes and Loki tensed behind me.

"They used a virus didn't they?" I asked and Steve just looked at me sadly, his silence deafening. I looked down at the floor and I shivered, I wanted to scream and let everything in me that was angry and mean loose. My inner bitch rattled the bars of her cage, and I was ready to let her out to play. I wanted to put my fists into something and be angry, I wanted to rip these men apart for what they had done. I wanted to end it all then and there.

Instead, I went numb.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14.

Tokyo, Japan. One hour ago.

Disuke Immura boarded the Tokyo Subway as the olive skinned man had ordered him to do. The object in his pocket heavy against his thigh as the Station Masters cleared the platform, packing the cars so that the doors could close on the over packed cars. He shook, knowing that in a few minutes, he would begin a series of events that would make the Aum Shinrikyo attacks of nineteen ninety-five look like a minor headache. The aerosol he was about to release was so much deadlier than the Sarin Gas used over ten years ago, this would leave no survivors at all. The guilt he felt ripped him apart, because his family would be the ones living with what he had done.

Disuke waited, he was told to wait for the signal or they would kill his sister. He thought about the girl, how happy she made their small family on the day of her birth. How her parents laughed and celebrated, and how that little baby felt in his arms. The girl was only seven now, a late born daughter to his parents when he was twenty, he still loved her though. He was willing to die himself to prove that love.

The train jerked to a start and moved under the busy streets on well maintained tracks, his hand slipping into his coat pocket with his finger on the triggering mechanism. Any moment the signal would come, in that moment he would be ready. A man with glasses and a suit bumped into him and he nearly fell over, pressing the button in the cylinder. He glared back at the man and heard him mutter a quiet apology, Disuke forgave the man with the hope that the world would be so kind to him one day. History was never kind to the perpetrators, no matter what their motives.

He waited. Focusing not on the people around him, but on his task. Soon it would be over and he would be free of his troubles. His younger sister would be safe and his parents would mourn him quietly.

The train jerked to a halt suddenly, nearly throwing everyone on board off balance and Disuke knew it was time. He unfolded the letter from his pocket, the hastily written script scrawled in a shaky hand on the paper. The letter explaining everything and attempting to express how sorry he was for his actions, signing his name to it after begging the world to not punish his family. He held the letter in his right hand and pulled the device out of his pocket with the other. A tear spilling down his thin cheek before pressing the button and releasing the virus into the air. He dropped it from numb fingers and it rolled spraying the car, spreading death into the air on the silence.

Within moment, the air was filled with the Ebola that Stephen Johanasson's lab created, nurtured to infect and kill within minutes. In the first thirty seconds, twenty seven people were exposed and felt the beginnings of fever. By the time Disuke died, his lungs filled with blood and his organs shutting down from lack of oxygen, the panic on the subway met its peak. People looked for an escape and found none, slapping their hands against the windows and doors that would not open. The fragile sheet of glass that separated them from safety from whatever was spreading through the cars, frustratingly strong as they begged and pleaded for someone to let them out.

Screams filled the air and the on-board cameras broadcast the attack across the internet for all to see. The video would replicate, spreading like the virus that was killing the people on the train. Within twenty minutes, all of the screams from the train stopped and silence fell.

No one would ever understand the reason behind this attack, but they knew it was happening elsewhere. No one could stop it either.

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We all sat in the conference room and stared at the screen in front of us, Ethiopia had been hit with a relief run of poisoned grain. The poison laced bread products had been distributed to the hardest hit areas by the drought, people died by the thousands. The first to be killed were the children, their bodies so small and starved of nutrients could not fight off the poison or give them a chance. I shook as I watched them load trucks with the victims for burial in mass graves. Medical workers who were horribly overwhelmed with the influx of dead and dying, collapsed into tears during interviews with news reporters. It was bad, but it could have been so much worse.

I looked down at Loki from my perch on the table and he watched the screen, tight lipped and angry at what he was seeing. Tony still nursed his bruised jaw, and Twitch and Bruce looked like they were going to be sick. Steve let out a long breath through his nose, a mixture of anger and sadness on his face. I rubbed my face as the lurid images of bodies being stacked in the back of a truck were played again, I was getting tired of human lives becoming soundbites.

"At least they didn't use the Ebola." Tony said and studied the table.

"That is one thing to be thankful for." I said and looked back at him, Loki rested his hand on my knee and I let out a long breath. We all watched a bit longer when the reporter on the television announced that there were preliminary reports of an explosion in Dubai India, they cut to a map to show where the city was and I waited to see what they would say. I swallowed hard, and closed my eyes out of fear of how much worse this was going to get.

"Radiation levels are still too high to get an accurate idea of this disaster, but it looks as if most of the business district was affected by the blast. Officials believe that a nuclear device, a dirty bomb most likely was used in this event. Officials are also warning all persons to shelter in place at this time, and to avoid all unnecessary travel..." The announcer droned on and Steve his the table with both fists, I buried my face in my hands. I was doing my best not to think about the people dead and dying around the world when Steve walked in front of the screen and stared at me.

"We need a name, you wrote that program and you told us it could find anything we wanted to know. Well, we need to know and you haven't given us anything." Steve said and I shrank back on the table, sliding off it and putting both my feet on the floor. He was a level of angry I had never seen before on him, and it made me actually afraid he was about to blow a gasket. I did not want to be on the receiving end of that either, I backed up and he stepped forward.

"It takes time Steve, the program is learning as it works. Please be patient with it, we will have names. It just takes time." I said and put my hands out in front of me. Bruce walked over and patted my shoulder as Loki stood up and put himself between me and Steve, making me feel a bit safety but my legs still shook. I felt very alone in the crowded room, despite the two protecting me and Steve came back to him self, realizing how everyone was reacting to him. Clint, Natasha, and Phil walked in with Wanda in tow and looked around the room, stopping and looking at each of us and I returned back to the table and leaned against it.

"I take it you have all seen the news, any thoughts on these events?" Phil said and everyone looked at their hands.

"Other than wanting to catch them, none." Steve said and sat back down in his chair, looking deflated as he stared at nothing. We all must have looked that way, this week was wearing on us and it was showing.

"Did Fury tell you about the Ebola?" I asked and Phil nodded at me, his face grim and drawn as well.

"He did, and I think we can all be happy it is not yet in play." He said and Bruce raised his hand, looking pale as he pointed at the television screen. Phil turned around and my stomach churned as videos played form inside Vatican City, aboard the Staten Island Ferry, and on a subway in Tokyo. All of them equally horrible as we watched, making me want to scream and cry.

"Oh god." Tony said and I did my best to hold myself together as people tried to run away from the invisible death that took them, killing them all in the same awful manner. Even Loki looked sick as the videos replayed, every awful detail splashed across the screen by news media to bring the full horror of the day down on us.

"Can we turn this off?" Clint asked and Phil reached up and tapped the power button on the screen, cutting off the screens. I sat on the table and pulled my feet up onto it, hiding my face in my knees as I started to cry. Trying to process the nastiness that had just happened, no amount of therapy would ever take those images out of my head and I felt myself fall apart a bit. I felt a hand on my back and saw Natasha sit down next to me, slipping a tissue into my hand. The room was dead silent and I wiped my face, trying to put myself back together.

"Adam McPhearson." Twitch said and everyone looked at him, his voice like a shotgun blast in the room.

"What was that Marilyn Manson?" Tony asked and Twitch looked scared, he shifted and looked at me. I nodded and waited for him to speak again, nearly crawling across the table toward him to urge him to speak.

"When Iron Dude and Lilly were arguing, Ouroborus came back with a name on the owner of Jupiter Engineering. It was cross referenced with the name War, Adam McPhearson." Twitch said and twisted his skinny fingers into his hair, he gave an involuntary jerk and looked at me.

"I know that guy." Tony said. "Well, I don't know him, but I know of him. When Stark Industries shut down R and D for the weapons division, this guy made a fortune becoming the worlds largest supplier of weapons to the current conflicts in the Middle East. This guy has government contracts by the truck load, and he stole my designs for the Jericho Missile."

"You knew who the owner of Jupiter Engineering was, and you said nothing? This could have been stopped then and there!" Steve said and I glared at him, crossing my arms. I wanted to punch the asshole again for everyone in the room. I was doubting that anyone would stop me either, no one said anything and our eyes were on Tony.

"This guy came to me at a trade show thirteen years ago, back then he was a nobody. He never made public appearances after that, his name and face was never in the spotlight. We all thought Jupiter was run by a crazy old man, no one ever knew who the face behind the brand was. For all we knew, it could have been run by Steve Jobs or Jimmy Hoffa, shit even Charles Manson could have run the damn company." Tony said defensively, his hands gesturing as he talked. We all sat silently for a moment, I thought about what Tony said about this Adam guy hiding behind the scenes and I light went on in my head.

"No way." I said and sat back, forgetting I was on the table and nearly crashing to the floor. Loki caught my shoulders and I slid my legs off the table and I began pacing. My hands opening and closing as I walked, I spun on my heel and looked at Tony. He looked nervous as I shook my head, a ton of bricks crashing down on me.

"It makes perfect sense." I said and laughed to myself, they could think I was insane all they wanted now but I knew a way to find Death. Now all I needed was to pick Tony's brain, and an educated guess as to what Death was in control of.

"What makes perfect sense?" Phil said and I shook my head and laughed again to myself, stopping in front of Loki and pointing at him.

"I think I found a way..." I said and grunted. It felt like I got punched in the chest by a white hot poker. My breath was completely gone and I looked at my chest to see a hole torn in my shirt above my right breast, I put my hand over the hole and saw blood. The dime sized hole in my chest leaked blood and I was twisted back when another punched through my shoulder, the last bullet hit me below my breast on my right side again and I fell. I tried to breathe and looked around me, the last cognitive image I could remember was Loki standing and the chair he was in rolling across the floor.

After that everything became a blur of pain and shouting.

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No one heard the first shot punch through the window, but everyone saw her jerk back. Loki grabbed the falling woman and Lilliana crumpled to the ground, her legs no longer supporting her and her lips going pale from the lack of oxygen. He looked up in time to see the woman with the rifle set the weapon down on the floor, her face grim as he raised her hands up and allowed herself to be taken. Loki slapped a hand over one of the wounds, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to breathe. A scream coming from her that ended in whimpers of pain, her legs kicked out and she cried as blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. Loki felt panic edge at his brain, but he remained calm for her on the outside.

"Don't try to talk, let your body heal itself. The air will come if you let it." Loki said as Rogers crouched down next to him and shoved a sweater under her head, Banner joined the group and pressed his hand over another wound on her chest, trying to slow the blood. Her mouth formed a word but her breathing was ragged and wheezing as she shivered from the pain and blood loss. Loki could feet something pulling at his palm as she tried to breathe and he knew her lung was struggling for air, the fragile organ trying to fill.

"Even if she heals, she is going to need blood." Banner said and looked at Loki. "You are O Negative like Thor, you can both donate to anyone. Roll up your sleeve and get ready to fill a bag, you may just keep her alive yet."

"Willingly Banner." Loki said and the medical team came in, Banner began giving orders as her breath became normal again and the bleeding slowed. Tears formed in her eyes as Natasha walked over and slipped a strange looking collar around her neck, smoothing her hair back as she worked giving the injured girl comfort as she worked. Loki held her hand in his, her blood slicking her fingers and his as he looked down at her ring. Trying to work over in his mind how to help her, and how this could have happened. She tried to sit up, but Natasha and Rogers held her back and she cried out again in pain.

"Just relax Lilly, it is going to be fine. Loki is here, you are going to be O.K. Sweetie. I know it hurts, but you have to stay still." Natasha said as Banner listened to her heart and lungs, blinking and moving down her stomach as he performed a triage of sorts on her. He waved the medical team over and the two men helped lift her onto a blanket, a smear of blood left behind from where she lay. The settled her onto the gurney and covered her with a blanket, Loki's hand leaving hers as he looked down in shock at the blood on his hands.

Her blood, and she was dying again, they had to help her and he watched them push her out the door. Banner chasing after and ordering a surgical suite for use and Stark talking into a phone fast, speaking to another Doctor, telling him to come.

"He is the best surgeon available, he can help her the way he helped me. He has a success rate that is beyond great." Stark said to Banner as they walked along, putting the phone back into his pocket.

Someone handed him a towel to clean himself on and he wiped away the blood carefully. His own shock creeping in as he followed the team, Banner waved back at him and they walked to the Medical Lab. Immediately transferring her to another bed as Banner moved quickly, preparing instruments to save a life, he filled a syringe with some medicine and she cried out in pain as the nurses started removing her clothes, he was pushed behind a wall and everyone walked calmly as a machine was positioned over her. A button pressed and a plate removed from it. Another one was prepared and the actions repeated.

"I will develop these, there is only one exit wound near her shoulder, you are going to have to remove the other bullets." One nurse said to Banner and Loki looked at the doctor, his movements were methodical, knowing what he needed to do to prevent another needless death.

Stark closed the curtain , blocking her from view and walked over to Loki, he put a hand on his arm and let out a long breath. Worry marked the man's face and he nodded back at him, her cries continued as they did something else to her. The nurse rushing by with her old clothes and dumping them into a bin, medical science in Midgard was barbaric at best to him. They opened the curtain briefly, her face drawn and pale, Banner walked over and Loki could see a needle pressed to the bend of her arm. He remembered the request for his blood, and he started removing his coat and armor to give them access to his arm.

"This Surgeon on his way? We need him here now, there are a few other tests I need to run before she goes under." Banner asked, the stress on his face evident.

"Yeah, he said he just had to change. He is willing to consult on the case, you got a team ready?" Stark asked and nodded. Banner motioned Loki over to another bed and rolled up his sleeve, pressing a needle into the bend of his arm, attaching the tube to a bag that began filling with his blood. Barton walked back in and put two more bags of blood on a table, rolling up his own sleeve while he waited. Perching on another examination table nearby, and cleaning the bend in his arm for Banner.

"I found two pints of A Positive, you may want to lay back so you don't pass out." Barton said and Banner repeated the process on him. A needle was inserted into the man's arm and the curtain was pulled back to show a bandaged and pale Lilliana on the bed, her breathing was painfully shallow, Banner picked up one of the bags of blood and inserted the needle from it into one of the ports on her arm, filling her veins again with the red fluid. The machine above her beeped in a steady pace and the nurses put a clean blanket over her legs, Banner muted the machine over her head and Stark walked over and looked down at her.

"Hey Princess, you are going to be fine. Just rest." Stark said and her eyelids fluttered a bit before closing again.

"Tired of getting hurt. Sucks." She said in a weak voice and Barton laughed a bit as she gave a thumbs up, her hands folded over her stomach. Banner walked back over and pulled the needle on the bag out of Loki's arm, holding a piece of gauze over the hole and taping it down. The large blue medical gown looked huge on her as her chest rose and fell, her breathing shallow but still here. Her head drifted to the side and Stark spoke to keep her alert.

"Hey, you are about to receive a pint of pure, concentrated evil, and a pint of Loki's blood. Sorry Clint, but we all know you are the real evil around here. Don't deny it now." Stark said and she laughed, a grimace of pain on her face as she stopped and tried to smile. Loki smiled at her and walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Banner walked away and dug through bins and drawers.

"We are going to put out a call for more blood, anyone with her blood type or O Negative will be required to donate." Banner said, looking for items he was going to need, and moving a tray around with him. He pulled a clean set of surgical clothes out of a bin, sterile and wrapped in a bag. He looked down at her again and fought back the urge to become extremely angry, possibly killing the woman who had done this to her.

"Hi." She said and managed a weak smile, her face calm with her eyes glazed in pain. Her hand with the port brushed his fingers and he slipped his fingers into hers.

"You are tired of getting hurt, but you are exhausting me by making me see you like this." Loki said to her, scolding her gently and Banner smiled at him.

"I didn't mean it you jerk." She said and closed her eye briefly, his fingers cradled the hand with the port and he touched the cold digits in his. Phil walked in with Fury in tow, everyone turning to acknowledge them except for the injured woman on the bed. His eye scanned the room and stopped on Lilliana, he walked forward and his hand brushed her pale arm. He looked sad for a moment, his eye taking in the damage done to her. Sorrow for the woman on the bed on his face, and everyone became quiet.

"She will heal, but the loss of blood slowed the process. She is dependent upon all things that Mortals are, with rest and the removal of the projectiles, she will recover in a few hours. Depending on the damage of course." Loki said and regarded the director of SHIELD and Coulson. "You promised her safety here. It seems your carefully constructed fortress is filled with holes and the snakes are getting in them."

"I recruited Sarah Matthews myself, she is a highly decorated and loyal Agent. If she wanted Ms. Hawthorne dead, she would be. I am sorry this happened to her, she did not ask for this, but we can't change the past. Trust me on this, I am however in agreement with you. SHIELD seems to have been compromised again." Fury said and Lilliana shifted, turning her head toward the two men and frowning at them both.

"It's O.K. Assholes, just talk about me like I am not even here." She said and whimpered softly in pain, she let out another long breath and her breathing regulated again. Barton walked up behind him and patted one of her legs through the blanket, smiling down at her in a fatherly way.

"Enjoy your pint of evil blood Short Round, get some rest and feel better. I am going to go out and twist some arms for more with Nat, we will get you at least five more pints each. We have a bet running right now." Barton said and she gave him a thumbs up as he left the room, Fury nodded to the man and a woman walked over to change the empty bag of blood over her head for another. Her color was improving, but her thin fingers still felt so cold.

"Someone from out team will stay with her until she is back up and moving around. This was a message, just like the attacks." Stark said and handed Loki a cup of an orange juice that he did not recognize, he tasted the liquid and liked the flavor of it. He continued to drink from it and followed the conversation with keen interest. He wanted to find out what would be done next, and he wanted to be clear on all the details.

"I will question Agent Matthews myself, perhaps she has something locked away in her head that will give us a lead. There was mention that her computer program found us a name as well?" Fury said and Loki nodded, looking down at the clever girl with a smile. He felt strangely proud that she had written the program and caressed her pale cheek, her eyelids fluttered and he hoped that her dreams were pleasant. A small consolation for what she had just endured.

"We will keep you in the loop, I am going to talk to our colorful new friend about this lead. Maybe it will take us to their doorstep, I know I have a bone to pick with them right now." Stark said and patted her other hand. "Keep an eye on the Princess Loki, we need to get her down the isle to you later."

"I already intend do do just that." Loki said and glanced at Banner, the man was proving resourceful in caring for her and he nodded his appreciation. Banner handed him a bundle of clothes and pointed to a place for him to change, he was going to be allowed to observe the procedure and it fascinated Loki.

"One thing," Coulson said and he raised a finger. "She said that something made sense to her, I would like to know what she had to say."

"I will ask her when she is stronger, right now she needs rest. She is still healing and may be asleep for some time yet." Loki said and Banner walked forward with a jar filled with a foul smelling liquid and clean bandages. He unsnapped the top of the shift she wore and folded it down with a gloved hand, removing the old bandage. The hole in her chest still oozed blood, but looked smaller from before. Banner cleaned and applied the medicines from the jar, taping another clean patch of gauze over the wound.

"How long until this consulting surgeon arrives? We need to get her into surgery, and I need to get the bullets out of her." Banner asked and Fury shook his head, Banner went back to his work and closed his eyes.

"Soon is my best guess." Stark said and shrugged.

"Unknown, this person does not travel using normal means, and is a little odd from what I understand. Keep us informed of her condition, I expect her to be protected at all times until she can defend herself." Fury said and left with Coulson and Stark, Banner closed the shift back up and worked on one of the other wounds in her shoulder. He used tweezers to carefully remove bone fragments that were already being replaced by her body before bandaging it again.

"Want me to clean her ring? She got blood on it. We need someone to watch our backs while we are working on her, you get to be that person, it may all be different from what you are used to, but it is necessary." Banner asked and Loki slipped the gold and Amethyst band off her finger, handing it to the man. He held it up and put it in a dish filled with water and shook it a bit, flecks of blood floating to the surface.

""She never takes it off, her hand looks alien without it now." Loki said, folding his fingers around hers, trying to warm the digits with his. Banner nodded and put his hand on Loki's shoulder, drying the ring and threading a string through it.

"She can't wear it in surgery, you better hold onto it for her. She will be fine, this doctor is really good, and is probably one of the top ten trauma surgeons in the country." Banner said and Loki took the ring back from him, putting the string over his head and around his neck.

"I hope so Banner, she cannot leave us now." Loki said and kept watch over her. Stopping when they took her away for the surgery to remove the two bullets left in her body, changing his clothes and following.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

I don't know how long I was out for, but the room was dim when I opened my eyes again. Everything ached and even breathing shot needles of pain down my side, I worked through my initial disorientation like a champ and I liked my dry lips. My eyes focused slowly and I saw intravenous lines leading into the backs of both of my hands, making me wonder what had happened to me while I was out. There was something hard around my torso and I couldn't move, it held me back and kept me perfectly straight prohibiting any movement at all. I licked my dry lips again and focused on Bruce and Loki, both of them looking at X-ray films and talking to each other in low voices Loki seemed very interested in the images in front of him, he pointed at a few things and asked questions. Obviously interested in what had happened to me, or what was going to happen.

I wanted to shift, but whatever it was that held me was keeping me from moving, even my legs refused to cooperate making me fear the worst. My brain flash backed to a beach in Oregon and a severed spine, making me panic internally as I worried if I had a spinal injury. I could survive pretty much everything, but real terror for me was feeling useless and trapped in a body that would not work. I concentrated and did my best to wiggle my toes and even got both feet to move as I wanted them to, laying my head back in relief. I relaxed and still worried why I was restrained though, did I loose control and hurt someone? Was I about to be put into a coma by Fury, and would Loki stop them before they could?

"Her clavicle fractured when the bullet grazed it as you can see, it is healing well but the two ribs on her right side had me worried the most. I got all the shards out when we removed to bullet during the operation, and moved the ribs back into place. The other bullet was real close to her heart, and we had to crack her sternum to remove it. She is going to hurt, but I see nothing that would hinder her healing. We put her in the brace and used butterfly sutures to close the cuts, in the morning we will take new films to see the progress and make a better assessment then. If she was not a fighter, I would really be worried about her survival." Bruce said and Loki nodded, he studied the films again closely and I closed my eyes. I felt tears burn them as I listened to everything and I did my best to not cry, I flirted with death again and lived.

"You did well Banner, I am in your debt for helping her. You are a brilliant professional and I thank you for everything, I do mean that. I was fascinated by the procedures as well, it was most interesting. You did have to move her heart to the side, would that organ be damaged at all?" Loki replied and I moaned as a fresh wave of pain washed over me. A shooting sensation from the center of my chest that made me gasp and whimper, I fought back tears and held my breath again. Both men turned and looked at me, I tried not to cry but the tears rolled over the sides of my face and I felt frustrated to be so weak and useless. Bruce walked over and looked down at me, patting my arm and wiping my face the best he could with a tissue. He smiled at me, putting on his best Doctor Banner look and did his best to not jiggle me around as he took my blood pressure.

"Hey Lilly, your O.K. Just breathe through it and we will get you a dose of painkillers. Stay still and try not to work yourself up, I know it hurts but you will be fine." Bruce said as Loki picked up my hand and held it, my eyes found my ring hanging around his neck from a heavy piece of string. I reached up to grab it with my good arm, but Bruce guided my hand back. I fought to get my hand free, but his grip was firm and seeing as how he could go all green and nasty on us, I decided against trying harder.

"I am keeping it safe for you Little Mouse, lay still and relax. I have it, and I have you." Loki said and wrapped his other hand around it, tucking it under the collar of his armor and I nodded. I did my best to form the questions I had, but lost them as my brain fogged again from the pain.

"Why surgery?" I asked and Bruce looked grim, his face looked sad and I got scared again of what happened to me. Getting shot sucked, but this was horrid on a whole new level.

"A section of your rib shattered from the impact, and the slivers had to be removed before they punctured your lung or did further damage. I got them all with the help of another surgeon, but you need to stay very still for a while. Maybe a day at the most while your body heals the damage and regrows that section of rib you lost. You also had two bullets still inside you after the shooting, one was close to your heart and had to come out and we checked for any remnants or fragments. You are healing really fast, and you will not even have a nasty scar to show for it." Bruce said and I blinked at him, not sure of what to say. The guy saved my life and Loki trusted him to do that, they even seemed to get along for the time being. All things considered, it was weird.

"Just tell me you shot the bear that mauled me, then I will feel better." I said and Bruce laughed at the joke, Loki gave me a smile and I hissed as more pain came from the healing rib in my side. I wanted those painkillers then, and I was willing to go into a bad neighborhood to get them.

"There is our Lilly, still sassy and full of vinegar." Bruce said and I heard the door to the room open and close. I turned my head to see a man wearing Asian styled clothing, with a strange looking red cloak that seemed to hug him as he walked. His goatee made him look distinguished, but there was something very different about the way he moved. An arrogance that hung around him, and also a power that also clung to him like that strange, red cloak. He looked like he could open doors by just thinking about it, nothing completely dangerous though. Just full of himself, like he thought the rain did not fall on him.

"Nice to see that our extremely attractive patient is awake and talking Doctor Banner. And wow, does she have the most beguiling eyes I have ever seen, a man could drown in the depths of those beautiful pools of violet. May I drown in yours my beautiful angel?" He said as he looked down at me and took my pulse, his hands moved strangely and looked as if they had been broken at one time and did not heal right. His hand slid up my arm and he checked the monitors over my head and nodded, his eyes scanning and studying everything on them. I felt something wrap around my wrist and I thought it was his hand, but it felt like cloth. I looked down and saw the red silk fabric slide along my arm as he used a penlight to look into my eyes.

"I am Doctor Stephen Strange by the way Ms. Hawthorne, you have a bit of gold in your eyes as well. Very beautiful and beguiling, it vanished though." He said and held up a crooked finger in my face. "Follow with just your eyes."

"Cool, because moving hurts right now, and I think your cape is petting my arm." I said and I looked back down at the hem of his cloak, it had partially wrapped around my forearm and the corner was patting the palm of my hand. He pulled it away from me, and I watched the corner of it edge back between my fingers. He let out an annoyed breath at it and the look on his face told me that he was pretty much done with the garment, and he pulled it away again. The corner snuck back up, over the edge of the bed and wrapped around my little finger and I thought I felt it shiver.

"Yeah. It is harmless, and like having a small child or a puppy on my back. I would have left it back at home, but it gets separation anxiety." Stephen said and I laughed, wincing at the pain in my ribs and shoulder. The center of my chest remained a dull throb, and I was able to ignore that for the most part but I wanted to just go back to sleep. I rubbed the soft fabric in my fingers and the hem slithered up around my hand, it was strangely comforting in a way.

"We have one of those back in Asgard, we call it Thor though. At least now I can take being molested by and article of clothing off the Bucket List, along with being shot. Did they catch who did it?" I asked and looked at the three men above me, wanting to sit up because I was tired of being flat on my back. Loki nodded and I felt the cloak slip out of my fingers as Stephen pulled it back again.

"They did, Fury and Coulson are questioning her now. She is only saying that it was meant to be a message, to show you how unsafe you are with us." Bruce said and unhooked an empty bag from a port in the back of my hand.

"What do you mean unsafe. Damnit!" I said and cussed as I tried to sit up. I groaned in agony and Loki put a hand on my chest to keep me back, he was firm but not crushing in his restraint of me. I breathed through the pain and I felt the cloak wrap up around my good shoulder, Stephen pulled it back and I groaned again as everyone watched me. I don't know what they were expecting, but I hope they knew that I was weak and so were my powers.

"Someone should tell them that I ignored their memo, and can someone sit me the fuck up? I am tired of counting brain cells up Loki's nose and talking to the light fixtures. Jesus this hurts." I snapped, the pain making me cranky as I felt my body give up the fight and relax. Bruce handed Loki a syringe over my head, and he held it while the medicines were fed into the port on the back of my hand. The contents of the first syringe were pushed into me and I waited, Loki studied his movements carefully. Taking in everything and processing it all.

"Will this ease the pain that she is in?" Loki asked and Bruce nodded, stopping to insert the second needle into the port and pushing the plunger.

"The first one was an anti nausea, we can't have her throwing up from the pain medication with her injuries the way they are. This one is the pain killer, she is going to feel better in a few minutes but she is going to get really silly or sleepy. Either way, she will actually be nice." Bruce said and I rolled my eyes, Stephen patted my arm and his cloak brushed my cheek. He pulled it back again and told it to stop, and I smiled at him and waited to be sat up. He glanced at Bruce, and the Doctor nodded at him.

"How did you meet Loki?" Stephen asked and I hissed in pain as he pressed the button to raise me up into a sitting position. It went slow, and hurt like hell, but at least I was going to be sitting up. That was at least going for me, I gripped the railing on the side of the bed as it elevated, thinking it would be better than crushing Loki's hand in my grip.

"I beat him up on the streets of Seattle and smashed a Cold Cut Combo from Subway in his face, you could say or entire relationship has been different." I said and Stephen looked amused, Loki handed Bruce gauze from a pile on the tray next to him to remove the port in the back of my hand now that it was useless. He rolled his eyes and I reached out for his arm with my good one, and he met me halfway. His fingers wrapping around my hand and giving it a squeeze.

"It was love at first sight then." Stephen said and Loki grinned at him, guiding my hand back down to my stomach and resting it there.

"No it was more a case of, I am going to beat the holy hell out of you before you kidnap me with your giant ass brother because I thought you were cops. The whole romantic crap came a long time after, I may have beaten him again somewhere in there." I quipped and Stephen raised his eyebrow at me, you could say I was feeling goofy from the painkillers.

"You really do not have to be completely honest with people Little Mouse, sometimes you are allowed to lie. I will not fault you for it, unless it is to me." Loki said and I sighed, rolling my eyes and looking over at Bruce. He shrugged and Stephen laughed at him, a smug grin on his face as his cape wrapped around my arm again.

"Coulson wants to talk to you later, he will fill you in on his continuing interrogations of the shooter and he is also wondering about what you started to say before you were shot. Fury is not happy at all either. SHIELD may have been compromised again, and he wants you under constant watch until you recover." Bruce said and I shook my head, feeling restrained and claustrophobic in the hard shelled brace around my body. I wanted out of the damn thing, but tolerated it. Knowing full well that if was for my own good, even if it crushed me and made my back ache. Puncturing my lung again with my rib could set everything back for a day, and we did not have much time to spare.

"O.K. Bring me a computer then, I can at least dig up some more information on my theory before I meet with Fury and Phil." I said and was greeted with three heads shaking. I put my good arm up to my head and rolled my eyes in exasperation, these jerks were not taking me out of the fight, not after everything I had been through.

"You are on orders to rest, you cannot continue this course if you are worse off than you are now. I stand with everyone on this platform, so there is no sense in being stubborn and arguing with us." Loki said, holding a finger up as he spoke. I resisted rolling my eyes at him, and settled for a tired groan.

"Be glad she doesn't have a sandwich in her hand, you would probably be wearing it by now." Stephen said and I did my best not to laugh at the joke, failing miserably and trying no to wince at the pain in my chest. It was a dull throb now and the painkillers made my eyes go out of focus briefly, I blinked and they straightened out for me.

"Just relax and get better, if you are showing a lot of improvement in the morning, I will release you to doing light work around here. You are recovering from being shot three times with a high powered rifle, relax for a while. I think you earned it." Bruce said and I did my best to not let myself feel useless. They had a point, but I was annoyed that I was being treated like a complete cripple. This was ridiculous as it was, and getting worse for me. Me heap big important being, not weak little kitten woman.

"Fine, but just so everyone here knows, I am planning on doing that girl thing and pouting unmercifully. I don't like feeling useless, and that is exactly how I feel right now." I said and I noticed Stephen's cape caressing my arm again, he pulled it away and let out and annoyed sigh. I giggled and felt a bit more goofy from the drugs that I had been given, I closed my eyes and felt someone put a warm blanket over me.

"Thanks for the warning, but you are only going to bother Doctor Banner and Loki. I am going back to the sanctum to go meditate and rest myself. If you need anything Doctor Banner, you know where I am." He said and waved his hands in the air, opening a portal of sparks and stepping through it. I blinked at Loki and pressed my lips together, giving him what can only be described as 'the look' and he rubbed his eyes ad he let out a long breath.

"Yes he can do that, and please refrain from giving me that look. I am already troubled enough by your injuries, and am deliberating if I should return to Asgard to convince Odin to lift his restrictions on Thor." Loki said and even Bruce looked shocked at what he was saying. I lay there with my mouth open, also amazed that he had not murdered the woman who shot me. I was starting to worry that maybe he hit his head or something while I was out, he looked at the both of us and shook his head.

"What?" Loki said and I rolled my eyes, turning my head to look at Bruce.

"Can you hook him up with a CAT Scan Bruce, something went very weird there and I and really freaked out." I said and Bruce nodded, still looking shocked as he put a tumbler of water on a table for me and pushed it close to my good arm.

"I am a little bit worried too, maybe I should run a few tests." Bruce said and draped a control over the bed and left it within reach. "You can raise and lower the bed as you want, use the call button if you need anything. Just do everyone a favor and get some sleep, I'm exhausted and need to crash myself."

"I will work on it, but you should know that I do not negotiate with terrorists. Personal policy." I said as he walked toward the door, smiling back at me before leaving, I gave him a weak wave and he nodded. Loki turned around and sat down in a chair, making himself as comfortable as his armor allowed and ran a hand over his hair. It had probably been a long day for him as well, and I did not blame him for being moody or in no mood to talk. I noticed that the chair was positioned between myself and the door, and it would probably stay that way until I could defend myself. He settled back and I did my best not to cry about the whole situation, I really don't know for sure why I wanted to just sob into my hands, just let everything shatter inside me as I fell apart. I couldn't figure out why though, maybe it was a mix of the drugs and everything else catching up with me. I sniffed and Loki looked over at me, I turned my head and pulled the blanket up over my shoulders. Hiding behind it and closing my eyes.

"Pain?" He asked me and I nodded, lying and I felt the blanket come free from my hand as he tugged it away. His face told me that he saw through the lie, and I shivered and tried to pull it back up.

"When this is over, I am out. There is no way I am coming back and helping defend the world anymore, I paid my dues and gave them my pound of flesh. Fury can fight his own damn battles from now on." I said and groaned in pain, feeling the rib shift back into place. The medical tape over the gauze on my chest made my skin itch, and I couldn't even scratch it through the brace.

"You keep stating that, but you still return and stay every time." Loki said, smiling sadly at me and I nodded. I felt like a complete idiot at that moment, and I just wanted to become one with the mattress under my back.

"I just decided that I don't like getting shot, I thought the best way to avoid flying bullets is to stay away from the planets with them. I'm an idiot anyways, we both know that." I quipped and he stood up, walking back over to me and holding my hand as he sat next to my legs. I could see the cord around his neck that held my ring on it under his collar, I wanted to reach up and put it back on but the pain kept me from doing it.

"You are not an idiot. And, I do not lament that plan, but I also know that something will bring you back to this planet. Be it another crisis or another reason that could be completely mundane." He said and stopped me before I could say anything. "It is in your nature, no matter how you deny it, you will return to help them. I only hope that you do not suffer further because of that nature in you."

"I don't want that either, believe me. Fate is a cruel bitch, isn't she?" I said and his hand cradled my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. He leaned over and kissed me, making my heart spike a bit. The painkillers made me sleepy, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes for a while.

"Fate is never convenient, and sometimes denies us our desires. But is brings us the things we often very much need Little Mouse." He said and kissed my forehead, his fingers stayed in my hand and I squeezed them.

"Don't leave, stay with me." I said and he shifted and smiled down at me. A tear rolled down my cheek, his hand returning the squeeze on my fingers as he sat over me.

"Never. You have my word on that." Loki said and wiped the tear away. "Don't ever think that I would be such a fool, I will he here always. Don't think yourself useless, a night's rest will be good for you."

"I love you." I said and his hands tightened on mine, a soft smile on his lips as his fingers slipped from mine.

"I am yours Little Mouse." Loki said and kissed my lips again, this time noticing the spike in my heart rate and smiling up at the monitor. He did it again, smiling at the effect, and I internally blushed knowing that my secret was out with him.

"I see I do have an effect on you. Sleep now, I will be here to keep you safe." He said and I blushed at his knowing, his smile evident as he leaned over again and kissed my forehead. He grinned at the change on the heart monitor, chuckling to himself.

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He sat up as Banner returned in the morning, the sound of the door opening grabbing his attention and he became alert quickly. Loki would not allow anyone he did not trust near Lilliana, and he was ready to attack the intruder. He was carrying two mugs that steamed and handed one of them to Loki, he stood up from the chair and stretched his tired back muscles. He moved back into it in the night after she fell asleep, giving her room to rest and heal. He only moved from his watch twice, once to move her foot under the blankets, and again because the machine above her head stopped reading her heart rate. He called for a nurse, and it was fixed immediately by the woman.

"I did not know if you liked coffee or not, thought you could use something." Banner said and Loki took a drink of the bitter liquid and grimaced, not entirely seeing the draw of the drink but understanding the gesture. His manners required that he be gracious toward the offering, and he took another drink from the cup.

"We are all so on her to get some rest, we forgot to remind you to do the same. If you want to stretch out for a while, I have no plans to leave and Phil will be by later to ask her a few questions." Banner said and Loki turned to offer over in his mind, weighing the options and decided to stay near her. She was still vulnerable, her weakened state making her an easy target for anyone who wanted to harm her. He would stay nearby, and be there if anyone made a move toward her that he did not like.

"I told her I would stay, I do not wish to upset her by not being close by when she wakes up." He said and Banner nodded, he set the cup on the table next to another machine that he did not understand, and walked over to the bed. Her hands were curled over her stomach as she slept on, peaceful and serene in her dreams. His eyes followed the curve of her cheek up to her birthmark, and he couldn't help but admire the thick eyelashes that rested on her pale cheeks. His hand drifted up to the thick string around his neck her ring hung from, and he watched her sleep. Curious as to why she was so peaceful and undisturbed by the troubling dreams as of late.

"This is really good." Banner said as he studied the new images that were taken that morning. Loki walked over to the screen and looked at them with the man, the bones in her shoulder showing no injury at all, one of the damaged ribs was completely healed, and the other nearly regenerated. There was something odd about the way her stomach was covered though, he remembered the way the woman covered her carefully with the heavy apron and took extra measures to protect her. He shook his head and studied the images with Banner, filing away information for later in his mind, and forming plans to question the man next to him as well as to the tools he used.

"I see my beautiful patient is doing much better this morning." A voice behind them said and both Banner and he jumped, turning to see the sorcerer from the previous day standing over her as she slept on. Unaware of the people in the room, and still at peace. He watched the clock on the wall as he held her wrist in his fingers, setting it back down on her stomach as she moaned in her sleep and settled back again. The cloak slithered up over her and, the man pulled it back again.

"I did not mean to startle you both, I just thought I would check on the lovely young lady. Hopefully you are still calm Doctor Banner, I would hate to see you turn Loki into a rag doll again. No, scratch that, I would actually love to see that." Strange said and walked over to look at the images, squinting at them as he studied the structure of her body carefully. Loki cursed Stark for humiliating him again with the images, but ignored the arrogant man.

"I was thinking the brace could come off today, and she could just get by with a bandage. No real heavy lifting beyond a cup of tea for a few hours, but she should be fine. I need to do a few more tests before I release her though, just check a few things out. You want to go get her a plate of food while I do that Loki?" Banner said and Loki nodded, still glaring at the sorcerer and crossing his arms. He nodded again and looked back at her as she slept, her eyelids fluttering slightly as she opened her eyes. Strange walked back over to her and his cloak hem drifted toward her, the garment seeming to be drawn to her as she turned her head. She reached up for the cup of water and drank from it, slowly coming back from whatever dreams had held her in their sway.

"If she is in your sight, I will take my leave to get something to eat. Perhaps get something for her as well, she will be starved." Loki replied, knowing that Banner would not harm her or allow anyone to do the same.

"Good morning." She said, her voice quiet as she looked around her at the three men, she smiled softly at the three of them and tried to shift on the bed. The brace inhibited her movements, and she groaned as she lay back against the bed. Her face showed the frustration on it, and he knew that feeling well.

"Hey Lilly, how are you feeling? Any pain this morning?" Banner asked her, walking over and standing over her.

"A little, I am mostly hungry right now. Your cape is still extra friendly I see." she said and Strange looked down at the hem the had begun patting her leg, he pulled it back and she giggled at his annoyance. The sound musical in Loki's ears, but her hid his reaction. He would stay calm, and also hide his irritation at the sorcerer.

"It is a cloak ma petite beaute, and a very special one. It only responds to its master, and obeys me in all ways." Strange said as the hem went slithering over the bed and found her hand, she looked down at the corner of it and smiled at the fabric in her hands. Strange rolled his eyes and pulled it back again, she giggled her amusement again. He let out an annoyed breath, and hissed at the cloak to stop, the red fabric returned to her hands and she toyed with it idly.

"I can see how obedient it is, really. You may want to tone down the flirting too, you really don't have a chance with me. I am already spoken for, and I think Thor is dead set on me becoming his sister." She said and Loki snorted his amusement, she looked up at him and reached out with one hand. Her graceful fingers slid into his, and he folded his hand around hers.

"The good news is that you get out of that brace today. I do have to put you on light duty though, no fighting legions of monsters and bad guys. The bad news, I am kicking Loki out to get you some food, and I need to run a few more tests." Fury says you are to go nowhere alone also, so someone if going to be shadowing you for the duration of this." Banner said and she looked down, fear and a look of loss crossing her features as she sat in the bed. Loki gave her hand a squeeze, he wanted to take her back to Asgard then. Back to safety and comfort, and where no threat could touch her. He knew she would fight him though, refuse to leave her one time home. He stubbornness shining through as she argued with him, her nature of being who she was shining through.

"You both really think that Loki is going to let me out of his sight? You all don't know him very well do you?" She said and banner smiled.

"I believe that I am referred to as her 'moody shadow' in some circles. However, she does need to eat, I will allow you both to act in my absence." Loki said, straightening his shoulders and looking down at her. The cloak slipped up further and covered her lap again, causing Strange to twist his body. He pulled it away again, his annoyance showing as he rolled his eyes.

"Can we just get this thing off of me? I have worn corsets, but this is killing me." She said and rolled her eyes at everyone.

"Yeah, lets get that brace off and that line out of your hand. Just sit tight afterwards and we will get those tests run. Natasha brought you some clothes last night, and you can put those on after. Just take today easy, shuffle paper and make Loki paint your fingernails or something else." Banner said, looking at Loki as he spoke. He began removing the port in the back of her hand, Strange handed him bandages and gauze while the long needle came out of her body. She flinched and whimpered at the action, but looked happy to have it out.

"Agreed Banner." Loki replied and helped her sit up, facing the doctor and he draped a blanket over her front to protect her modesty, reaching under the cover to unhook the brace.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16.

Plum Island, New York. Four hours ago.

Marcel sat back in his chair, War and Famine close by as Stephen raged. He knew better than to step in the way of the man when he got like this, so he watched and waited for him to calm. Boredom crept in as Stephen swept the buffet clear, shattering crystal wine glasses and creating a dramatic scene. Marcel calmly pulled his phone out of his pocket and prepared to send the text to his man inside SHIELD ranks to kill Sarah, he knew the order was coming after all. Some things were to be expected, and he was always ready.

Stephen stepped over the remains of the shattered liquor bottles and food, collecting himself and smoothing his jacket. He straightened his tie, letting out a long breath and looked around the room. Every man present knew to stay quiet, they did not want to end up on the receiving end of his anger at all.

"Does she live?" Was the only question the man asked, breathing heavily and resting his hands on the table as he leaned over it. The other men looked at Marcel, wanting the answer only he could provide. Waiting on baited breath for a positive response, and hoping that she was still alive for their own sakes.

"She does, and is recovering according to my puppet on the inside. They had to operate, but she will recover." Marcel said and waited for the command, raising an eyebrow with his thumb hovering over the send icon. Stephen turned and sat heavily in his seat. He frowned and opened his phone to the collection of photos he kept, scrolling through them. Every man was aware of what he was looking at, and no one dared say a thing about it. Anything against her right now would be their last words, and none of them wanted that at all.

"Sarah was supposed to kill Loki, not her. What the hell happened Marcel?" Stephen demanded, clenching his teeth as he hissed the name of his hired assassin.

"She began pacing, and got in the line of fire as the first shot was taken. They said that she pulled the trigger three more times in and attempt to take down her real target, no kill shots though. My man on the inside is waiting to do your bidding, your beautiful woman still lives." Marcel replied, waiting and Stephen looked down at the photographs in his hand again, his shaking fingers touching the screen as he came to a decision.

"Kill Sarah, make sure she suffers, send a team to slaughter her family as well. She failed, they shall all be punished for it. Let this warning be very clear to the rest of them, failure will not be tolerated on any level." Stephen said and War smiled at the leader of The Horsemen.

"The poor lass, ye made tha right decision Stephen." Adam said and Stephen nodded to the man, smiling at the words.

"Yes, and she still lives. That is all that matters to me right now. We will need to step up our efforts to retrieve her now, this mishap has shown me that I have been too idle in this." Stephen said and let out a long breath. "Marcel, I do not blame you for this, but in the future do not allow such things to happen again. There will be dire consequences if it does."

"I shall be more careful in my judgment Death, thank you for your forgiveness." Marcel responded, calling the man a Bastard in his head. He shifted and sat back in the chair, monitoring everyone in the room for Stephen. He gauged every reaction, and hoped that someone would do the wrong thing. Anything at all, so that he would have something to save himself from the crushing boredom he was experiencing now. Even beating one of these men would be something to break it up.

"We needed the god dead, when Phase Three begins he will be relentless in saving her. I hear he is gifted with blades, and a man desperate will do anything to take back that which is his." Stephen said and Marcel Shifted, his interest piqued by the mention of a being with the same skill set as his. His mind traveled to the knife in his pocket and he smiled to himself, thinking on the new challenge that could be presented to him by this.

"A man protecting his woman is a formidable for, but they are often blinded by their rage. I say that you should move forward with your plans, leave Loki to me." Marcel said and Stephen regarded him, surprised that he had spoken to say anything beyond asking for his next orders. He shook his head at his prized killer and laughed to himself, making Marcel wonder if he was going to allow him to kill the god. Disappointment edged into his mind, and he felt anger at Stephen build in him. None of this showed on the surface however, it was all in himself.

"My friend, if I get the beautiful Lilliana. Then by all means, kill Loki, just make sure he suffers as he dies." Stephen said and Marcel smiled.

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If computers felt stress or pain, I would have felt bad for for Ouroboros. I had it running six different searches, forcing it not only to learn new parameters, but to also learn new intrusion techniques. If it were human, we would have broken that person into a million pieces by now from the pressure to start the search alone.

It is a good thing, they have no nerve endings. I guess.

I pushed back from the computer and fought the urge to stretch, my healing rib made that motion way too painful, so I settled for rubbing my face and grumbling like an old man as I stood up. Loki looked up from the printouts he was reading, studying me as Twitch lay face down on the table in the middle of the room. From the looks of it, he had an impressive puddle of drool forming under his face as well.

"Just doing my impression of an eighty year old man, don't freak out Magic Dance." I said and he rolled his eyes at me. I walked over to the table with my mug of tea and winced at the dull ache in my chest, I was going to be happy when I was fully healed. This sucked was an understatement, and I was tired of being in pain. I sat down at the table and picked up a file, Loki was grumpy and I saw no reason for him to be. He did not take three to the chest, and he was pissing me off. I picked up a piece of paper from the file and rolled it into a tube, putting it to my mouth and making making trumpet sounds through it. Loki ignored me in true asshole fashion, and I pushed back in my true nature.

Bruce had dropped the Scud Missile of the Century on me, and I was struggling enough with that new factor in my life. It was currently not a conversation I was ready to have with Loki, and I was was debating throwing something at him. I rolled my eyes and used my makeshift megaphone to further be annoying, it was my gift.

"Earth to the Norse God of Grumpy Fuckers, lighten up before I set you on fire." I said and he gave me an exasperated look, sitting back in the chair and glaring at me. I rolled my eyes in response and he shook his head at me, returning to his reading and acting like I was about to be ignored again.

"I am not grumpy, I am merely busy with all of this and wish to not spend the next century going through this pile." He snapped and I laughed sardonically at his response.

"Really? Because I can Google Grumpy Cat right now, and pretty much prove that you are in fact grumpy. You currently have the same look on your face as that damn cat." I said and he shook his head in annoyance at me.

"Mind yourself Little Mouse. I am currently in no mood to be lectured, least of all by you." Loki warned and I groaned as I picked up my mug of tea, sipping it and putting my boots up on the table. I pulled the sleeves of the black sweater I was wearing down and leaned my head back against the chair, debating poking the bear a bit more and decided against it. I was dealing with enough, and really did not need this. I closed my eyes and waited out another dull ache in my chest, hearing Loki shift in his seat.

"This is all pointless, nothing of value in these pages toward finding these mortals. Or ending any of this." Loki said and I opened my eyes and looked at him, I knew then what was causing his irritation and I let out a long breath. I nodded at him and looked at the files stacked up in front of us, the mountain was just growing and not getting any smaller.

"It kind of reminds me of life." I said and he looked at me. "You have to go through all the pointless stuff, the trivial garbage that clogs you day. And then, if you look hard enough, you find something with meaning. It is all in how you look at it, we will find something else in there."

"Interesting way to look at it Little Mouse." Loki replied and I looked into my mug, studying the dregs as Twitch shifted and settled again on the table.

"It is how it has always been." I said and smiled at him, letting out a sigh at seeing him not so moody anymore. He sat back and watched me for a moment, I put my mug down and grinned at him.

"Elaborate." He said, challenging me and I grinned at him wider, I looked at the table and thought about how to best explain my point to him. My brain working as he waited patiently, his face tired.

"People, normal people anyways, have two dates on a tombstone. Some people walk by them and lament over how short or long a life is, but what they don't realize is that there is so much more to those dates. They forget that so much could have happened between those two dates, they don't really realize that there is a dash separating birth and death." I said and he nodded at me, thinking himself about what I had just said. Part of me knew that neither one of us would have a grave or a marker in tribute of us, instead we would be around when the stars all burned out. Sitting on a planet somewhere as the last star fell from the sky, and the black universe was reborn.

"And you see the dash?" Loki asked me and I smiled at him, hiding another ache from the healing rib.

"I do, and I actually feel sadder because of what happened in that dash, I see it and I find it tragic in itself. That space between the dates holds and entire story, a simple line carved in stone but so meaningful all the same. That space of time, no matter how short or long, was filled with the good, the bad, and even the mundane. That person may have enjoyed every mundane moment of their life, and celebrated the good stuff so much more. But we will never know, because that story ended. Their book closed with the death, and now we can't read it." I said and Loki nodded, understanding me completely and I smiled back at him sadly.

"The hidden gray between the black and the white." He said and I gave him a thumbs up. I picked up a new file folder and began flipping through the contents, making myself useful as Loki watched me. I glanced at him and smiled, he shifted again and took in a breath.

"What do you say to someone whose dash is filled with suffering and loss? They have lived in a constant state of shame and regret to the point they feel that redemption will not come, that they are meant to just exist and stay hidden?" he asked and I set the file down in my lap and smiled sadly at him, knowing he was asking about himself.

"I would tell them not to give up, that sometimes you have to survive the truly awful to appreciate the joy that eventually comes along." I replied and his hand found mine, he turned the palm up to him and smiled down at it. He kissed it and I smiled at him, nearly turning to mush at the gesture. His warm breath on my palm making me feel electric, something in me shifted and I wanted to wrap up in him and feel safe.

"Thank you for being the joy at the end of the awful." He said softly and I let my hand drift to his cheek and he held it there with both of his hands.

"I will always do my best to be that. Your vexing, irritating, short, fountain of joy." I said and he laughed at the joke, letting my hand go and sitting back as I joined him in laughing. I let out a long breath and flipped a few of the pages in the file over, glancing back at him and smiling.

"Are you going to tell me what made you so upset?" I asked him and he looked at me, struggling with how to word what he wanted to. Loki had moments where he found difficulty expressing some things, and usually patience was the deciding factor in those moments. He came to things on his own terms, pushing him was never the answer, and it only made him close himself off more if you forced your way in.

"I have been having troubling dreams, concerning you. This recent incident made them feel prophetic." Loki said and I reached out for his hand, but a sharp pain from my rib made me stop suddenly. I groaned and leaned forward, putting my feet back on the floor and wrapping my arms around my chest. Loki moved closer and carefully eased me back into the chair, holding my hand as I worked through the pain.

"Moved too fast." I said and he nodded. "They are just dreams, nothing more. Your fears coming out as you sleep and biting you in the ass, I really have no plans to die anytime soon."

"I know, no one ever plans to leave the universe." Loki said and sat back down in his chair, regarding me as I relaxed back.

"Then don't let the dreams dictate your choices, and define your life." I said and shuffled through the last of the pages, finding nothing in that file.

"You have nothing to worry about there." He said and I gave him my ring hand. "I intend to keep you, the universe is also so much more interesting with you in it."

"I have a really good reason myself to keep living too." I said and he smiled at me.

"And that would be?" Loki asked me and his fingers slipped between mine, I smiled at him as I tossed the file folder onto the table. Every part of me wanting to go and crawl into his lap for comfort, but I resisted. Knowing my luck, I would fall over and hurt myself again, my rib began to throb again and I checked the time. I was overdue for another painkiller, but I wanted to not take too many of them. It was tempting to reach for the packet in my pocket though.

Behind us, the door opened and Tony walked in with Phil and Fury, all three of them looked grim and I debated using the painkiller as an excuse to get out of their meeting. Phil handed me a file folder and Tony rolled his eyes at Twitch, who was still fast asleep on the table. The sleeping Cyber Goth was completely oblivious to what was going on, I envied him for that.

"The contents of that folder my be upsetting." Phil said and I rolled my eyes at him, he obviously had a flare for the dramatic.

"Getting shot three times in the chest was also pretty damn upsetting, especially after finding out someone used weaponized Ebola in a terrorist attack. I think I can handle some lab results right now after the week I have been having." I replied and Fury looked at me in his way of saying that something was very bad. I opened the folder and read through everything, not knowing what to feel as every emotion ran through me at once. I tried not to cry as I closed the folder and set it down on the table, standing up and walking over to the window to study the clouds.

"Feline, bat, and human DNA." I said and stared out the window, looking at the sky beyond.

"We told you that it would be upsetting, Ms. Hawthorne. Right now we need you to stay calm, we don't know for sure if those things in the jars are part of a bigger picture or not." Fury said as I turned around and lost control, the pulse of energy flew out of me and everyone braced themselves except for Twitch, who was thrown off the table and to the floor. The once neat stack of files was strewn about, and chairs moved and slammed against the walls.

"They used my blood to make monsters, those things are me. You have no fucking right to tell me to stay calm, no goddamn right." I said and felt tears fall down my face. My control slipped further and I felt the fire come forth, Loki hurried forward and put his arms around me. Smoothing my hair back with his hand and trying his best to keep me from loosing it further.

"Ease yourself Little Mouse, if you loose control further, you will burn me. You are not the mother of monsters, and they are not you." He said and I cried out, burying my face into his armor covered chest and screaming into it. I was fighting with everything I had now, I couldn't loose control and pass out.

"We need a sedative, scramble the team." Fury shouted and I sobbed, Loki motioned them back and he continued to hold onto me as I sank to the floor. I screamed again and felt hot inside, knowing that everything that I was wanted out. I wanted to explode.

"They used my blood." I said and felt my control slip further as I tried to breathe, the injured rib throbbed and the team entered the room. Loki put a hand out to hold them back, and I screamed in pain as the fire tried to burst forth.

"I know. But those things were never you or part of you, breathe and calm yourself. You are so much more than those monstrosities, you are more." Loki said and my fingers hooked over the armor near his neck. One of the team rolled a syringe across the floor and Loki picked it up, he pulled the cap and continued to rock me as I screamed again. My powers fighting me, and I fighting them back.

"It will not put her out, but it will calm her back down." One of the Agents said and I felt Loki nod.

"I am here Little Mouse, just breathe. I know you can do this, breathe. If it comes out I will burn, don't let it out." He said and my body relaxed against him, I felt the needle prick my arm and the injected me with the contents of the syringe. I wrapped myself around him and sobbed, letting go of everything in the last week. I was embarrassed as well, I nearly lost it in front of everyone and probably knocked the shit out of Twitch in the process.

Loki let me lean against him and I heard Twitch groan somewhere behind me, I shivered again and felt worried about what was in the syringe. There was so much more at stake for me now than I could ever let on, and I just wanted to be far away from this planet right now. I let myself relax more, Loki still rocking me as I shook. I felt a hand on my back and looked over my shoulder to see Twitch crouching behind me, he jerked a bit and I nodded at him. He handed me a napkin that looked clean and I mopped my face on it.

His skinny arms circled me from behind and he gave me a squeeze, reassuring in itself. I sighed and Loki laughed at the man behind me, letting me shift to hug my friend back. I let out a long breath, and laughed myself, he smelled awful but it was familiar. I wrinkled my nose and pushed him away, grimacing at him as I felt sick from his odor.

"You need a shower Twitch. You are really getting bad there, like really bad." I said and he nodded, I sometimes thought he needed a caretaker to make sure he stayed clean or took care of himself.

"I will work on that Rav...Shit, I mean Lilliana." He said and I laughed a little at him.

"Sorry I knocked you off the table, it was an accident." I said and he laughed, shaking his head as he regarded me with a jerk. I laughed a bit again and felt loopy from whatever was in the syringe, I shook my head to clear it and it worked briefly. I rubbed my face and leaned back onto Loki and smiled at Twitch, letting out a heavy sigh.

"No way, that was better than Starbucks! You are wicked cool and the third person I know that can do awesome shit." He said and I laughed as both he and Loki helped my stand up, guiding me over to a chair at the table again. Fury and Phil relaxed as the three Agents left the room, their usefulness was over for the time being. My head spun a bit from the combination of the stress and the drugs, Loki glared at the two men.

"She has been through much, was this really the right time to present her with this information? Loki said and I rested my head back against the chair, he was right but there was no way around telling me what was going on.

"I don't think there would ever be a right time for that, in their defense Loki." I said and closed my eyes, he nodded back at me knowing that I was right ultimately. It was never a good time to be told that you own DNA was found inside of a science experiment gone very awry, I never thought I would have to find that out.

"She had to be told." Fury said and I silently agreed with him.

"Think you should answer some questions for us, or should we wait?" Phil said and I already knew what he was going to ask me.

"I had an idea based off of what Tony said, about how the guy who runs Jupiter Engineering stayed out of the spotlight to avoid drawing attention to himself. What if the other three Horsemen are doing the same? People who own corporations and rely on their profits, but make it their business to stay out of public view?" It makes perfect sense to me, they could do anything they want, and no one would point fingers at them." I said and Phil blinked at me, Fury thought about it for a long time and he rubbed his face. I knew that my thinking had to be reasonable to them, all I had to do was convince them to listen.

"That is a good theory, I will put a team on it. I know you are not being run as ragged as last time, but you are still on Doctor Banner's orders to rest until you recover. Do so, have your colorful friend mind Ouroboros in your absence. I do not want you causing further injury to yourself, nor do I want you laid out. We are going to need you later, and I think Loki will agree with me on this." Phil said and I began to protest, but Loki stopped me. I gaped at him, unable to comprehend how he could be on the same side as the two men.

"After your episode, I have to agree. Don't be stubborn on this, you have given them a great deal of information to work with and they will follow that while you rest." Loki said and Twitch smiled at me.

"You know dude, for the guy who tried to take over the world, you are pretty cool to my friend." Twitch said and Loki rolled his eyes in exasperation. I laughed to myself a bit and grinned at him, noticing that he was giving me a look that screamed that I was not helping. I giggled a bit more and sat back in the chair, feeling tired and yawning into my hand.

"Go rest Ms. Hawthorne, if you feel the need to continue working, take a stack of those files with you and read through them. I trust that Loki will also continue to shadow you until this is over. Meanwhile, Coulson and I are going to question Agent Matthews again. Maybe this time she will be more cooperative and willing to give us some information that can point us in the correct direction." Fury said to me and I looked up and the clock, it was only two in the afternoon and I wanted to work more. I also had a feeling that I was not going to win, the drugs they gave me had worked through my system and made me feel even more loopy.

"I just want to catch them before they do something worse." I said and Fury sat back in his chair and studied me.

"We all do Ms. Hawthorne. We all do." Fury said calmly.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17.

New York. Now.

The truck with its dangerous cargo lumbered in and out of traffic, no one around them knowing how close they were to a very vicious death. Anything could have been in that back of that truck, furniture, livestock feed, bread, anything. Sadly it was something very dangerous and, carried a death that would be painful. Careful and unnoticed the driver changed lanes as the creatures remained perfectly silent, full and sated from their last feeding. Gregori was pleased by this, and smiled to himself for having the idea of feeding them before loading them into the shipping container.

They were easier to manage, and blissfully quiet. Both of which made this part of the task easier for him, and he was able to relax a bit knowing it was almost over. In a few hours, they would be at Plum Island and he would not have to worry anymore about the monsters in the container behind him. He settled back into the passenger seat while his man drove, following his instructions obediently and with the promise of reward for his work.

"I cannot wait for all this to be over, I will hear their howls in my dreams." Gregori said and his long-time friend indicated his agreement, he shifted gears and followed the signs for Long Island. He had met the man years ago in the Russian Special forces, and from one battle in particular he knew he could trust the man. The man next to him saved his life, and they both survived that day together. They both retired at the same time, and he offered the man a lucrative job out of gratitude with the promise of his own freedom to travel. All the man ever had to do was follow one rule, never ask about the cargo.

And he never did.

It worked out for the both of them in the end, His friend made a living and he never had to struggle to transport anything.

"You and me both, I don't think your friend pays you enough for this sometimes. This is one of those times." He said, Gregori agreeing with him silently, both men had dealt with the horrible cargo behind them for long enough. Stephen was lucky that the two of them had respect for him, otherwise they would have never agreed to deliver.

"I have to agree with you my friend, just be careful what you say when we arrive. The man can get very angry when provoked, and I do not want to have to find another driver. Marcel, his man is very loyal to him and will not hesitate to act on his orders. He is also on edge right now, he craves a woman and he is trying to claim her." Gregori replied and his companion nodded his agreement.

"It is always a woman, they complicate so much in life. But they are so beautiful. I just drive the truck my friend, I do not ask about the contents of the delivery." He said and Gregori Laughed in response.

"I hope you remember that, if he is as on edge as I have been told by Famine, then this could be an interesting drop. War is treading thin ice, and he may find himself drowning." He said to his friend, and leaned back into the seat. Everyone knew that Stephen was wanting the woman, but he was also angry about a particular failure at the moment. He hoped that he would be calmer when he arrived, he hated dealing with the man sometimes. He despised when he was angry, he acted like a spoiled child when he got that mad.

"I just drive the truck Gregori." The Russian said and he laughed to himself again.

"Very smart. Very, very smart." Gregori replied and focused on the road ahead.

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He was sitting in his chambers with his back to the door, his brow furrowed as he read another letter. The Jotun were putting more demands on Asgard, asking for more aid for a famine that did not exist, always wanting more from them. Not that he cared, he was just the messenger and nothing more. He set the letter aside and pulled a fresh page toward himself, picking up his pen to draft a letter to The Council, if Odin wanted the treaty to remain intact, he would agree to send the surplus requested to them.

He had just begun writing when he heard the door open and click shut softly, he smiled to himself as he smelled lavender and turned in his chair to see her standing behind him. Her gowns draped across her gracefully as her hands caressed her growing belly, her smile bright and fair. He returned the smile as she walked toward him, he rested his hand on the swell, the life within stirring under his hand.

"How do you feel today Little Mouse?" He asked Lilliana and she smiled down at him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"I am well, but someone else requires your attention." She said and a pale, black haired boy peeked around her skirts at him. He put his hand out to the child and he lifted the boy off his feet and onto his back in a single smooth movement, making the boy giggle in delight as he stood.

"Perhaps some duties to the Crown can wait, I have more pressing persons to give my time to." He replied and put his hand out to caress her face, her smile faded and she opened her mouth to scream. No sound came out as she crumbled to dust through his fingers, the wind carrying away the flecks as he looked around him. The boy on his back vanished as he turned, all an illusion as he scanned the chaos around him. Furniture was overturned and bits of torn cloth surrounded him, he screamed in anger at the lie.

Soft foot steps approached him, and she was there. Wearing funeral black and an open wound where her heart was. She stood with white, too white skin and opened a blood filled mouth. Spilling crimson down her chin and neck.

"Everything you touch turns to dust Loki." She said and opened her black, soulless eyes.

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Loki jerked awake next to me and sat up, panting panting from whatever nightmare tore him from sleep. I sat up next to him and he sat shaking, his back covered with sweat and I put my hand on him and tried to calm him. He looked at me and grabbed my shoulders as he studied me, looking into my face and put his hand on my cheek. I was nervous for a moment and did not know what to do, his eyes were wild and he pulled me close to him and relaxed a small bit at a time. Coming back to himself as his fingers knotted into my hair, pulling me into him tighter. His arms crushed me a bit, but I was not hurt by him.

"It's all right." I said, my hands wrapping around him and he nodded into my neck.

"Yes, all is well." He said and tried to pull away, but I kept my arms around him. He shivered a bit, the last of his fear leaving him and his breath was calming.

"Tell me." I said and he turned away as he pulled my arms from around him, I frowned as he shifted and rubbed his eyes. He was shutting me out again and I had to think fast, get him to open back up and talk to me. I put my hand on his arm and he jerked away, turning further away from me as he put his back to me with the network of fading scars. I touched one and healed it under my finger tips, I did not mean to, it just happened and sometimes I did not control how I helped.

"It is unpleasant, go back to sleep. I will be better in a moment." He said and I wanted to slap him for his being an idiot right then. He turned away from comfort like he did not deserve it, but in my mind he did.

"Life is sometimes unpleasant, everyone knows that. It is all in how you handle it, that defines you. Right now, you are handling it like a big baby, and I want to help you." I replied and he looked over his shoulder at me, I scooted over to him and sat close to Loki with my legs curled against me.

"Did I ever tell you why I am claustrophobic, why I am so afraid of being trapped inside a room without windows?" I asked him, keeping in mind everything Sam told me to do and so afraid to continue. I looked down at his bare feet and he blinked at me in the moonlight that poured through the window. I shifted and let my legs dangle a bit over the edge of the bed and tapped my toes on the floor, waiting to see how he would respond. If he did at all.

"You didn't." He said and I nodded, pressing my lips together and studying him for a moment. His arm came up and around me, pulling me close to him. I leaned over onto his shoulder and I sighed, thinking and worrying about how I was going to be judged after this.

"After my dad died, I went right into the Foster System. It is never easy on a kid, you either get a really nice family or a really abusive one. The first one I went to was great, it was an older lady who was retired and lonely. She loved having me around, and I was like a doll to her. She would dress me up in petticoats and little ruffled dresses, curl my hair and put hats on me. She would take me out to show me off at her church all the time, and the ladies loved seeing me. They would give me cookies, and call me a little precious gem, I feel completely ridiculous telling you this now." I laughed, and he smiled at the memory.

"I was a good kid too, because if you caused too much trouble for the person you were placed with. You risked getting shipped back to the system and could end up worse off than you were." I finished and he gave me a squeeze, I felt a bit sad thinking about the woman and I let out a breath.

"After two years, she started forgetting things and the state stepped in and took me out of the home. She was getting Alzheimer Disease and her real kids had to put her in a facility, she stopped being able to take care of herself and she needed care. They placed me immediately, with a strict family that already had two boys. No more dresses and being shown off, no more bedtime stories. My first night there, the introduced me to the box. If you were bad, they locked you in it and left you there. The first time I was punished, it was something that the boys did and blamed on me."

"Were they that foolish, to not see through the lies?" Loki asked and I shook my head, worrying that he was disgusted by me.

"No. Because I was too small and too afraid to say anything different. I was just a kid, and I was not one of theirs. I was an outsider to them, and just another throwaway in the long run." I replied, seeing that he was not angry with me, but with the family I had been placed with. I sniffed and he pulled me closer to him, letting me tremble it out. The horrible memories flooding back, and echoes of screams in my head.

"Frigga would have sheltered you Little Mouse, you would have been her little doll to play with. And she would have given you all the finest things." He said softly and I smiled at him, preparing to finish the story that I had started. Part of me wished that she had found me as a child, taken me in and let me thrive under her guidance. Part of me was glad it did not happen that way, because my life would have ended up very different from what it was now.

"I know she would have, she was so kind to everyone. But I lived a different path, and maybe we would never have happened." I said and he nodded, I drew in a shaky breath and readied myself.

"I lived that way for another two years, and it sometimes got worse. As I grew up, that box got smaller, the wooden lid inches from my nose and I could barely move in the dark. No matter how long they left me in that box, I would not scream, I would not beg, I would not give them any satisfaction. I was not going to let them see me scared. I was never going to be a cowering little girl in front of them, and I was stronger than the box." I said and my hands turned into fists as the memory, my fingernails cutting into my palms.

"The last time I went into the box was for three days, I was blamed for missing money and I couldn't tell them where it went because I didn't do it. I tried to tell them it was the boys, but they did not believe me. I lay in that box for three long days, the lid close to my face, no food, no water, and no being let out to go to the bathroom. After a day, you don't even smell your own mess anymore. By the second day, you hear voices telling you you are going to die in that box, three days of starvation and dehydration makes you desperate."

"A Social Worker found out about the punishment during a random check, by then I had clawed holes into the lid. My fingers and hands were bleeding and I was in shock, my voice hoarse from the screaming and begging to be let out. After that, I refused to go anyplace I could not escape from. I just felt safer if I could jump out of a window or see the sky." I said and let out a breath, wiping my face and trying to make my point. Loki looked angry that I was put through so much, and I could not blame him.

"My own personal hell is something in my own head, and I am trying to escape it all the time. But this is showing me that it is just that, in my head and nowhere else. The box is long gone, and I am still afraid of something that does not exist anymore." I finished and his arms tightened around me, I felt strangely safe and at peace in that moment, I tuned my face to him and was content after my confession.

"No one will ever do that to you again, I promise it." Loki said and I believed him, he shifted and lay back against the pillows. I settled in next to him and he held onto me, he was quiet for a long time as I lay against his chest. He pulled the sheet over us, finding a bit of my hair and wrapping it around his long, thin finger.

"I have been dreaming that you die, and each time it is something of my doing. It is my actions that lead you to your demise." He confessed to me, I lifted my head to look at him. His hand stopped playing with my hair and I shook my head. Trying to figure out how to convince him that I was going to be with him forever, that he would never loose me.

"It is just a dream, I am not like anyone else. You said that yourself, that I would be alive when the universe ended." I said and he let out a long breath, he pulled me back to him and I rested my head. My hand found his shoulder and I gave him a hug, or something resembling one.

"I know that, but the thought of loosing you frightens me. I fear that through my actions, something will happen that makes you leave. Or worse, I lost Elanora and my son, because of my doing. Frigga, I will blame myself for her always. If I had not been locked away, I would have been able to save her." He said and I nodded against his chest. So much loss for him, I wanted to tell him something to cheer him up, but my only option seemed inappropriate at that moment. I shook my head as I rested my chin on my hand, his eyes meeting mine and I moved some of his hair out of his face.

"I threw glitter in your face, and you still came back and accepted me. You yelled at me and called me an idiot, I still came back to you. Even accepting the proposal to be your wife, does it ever cross your mind that some people were just meant to be?" I asked him and he chuckled as he shifted to a more comfortable position, settling me back in as I lay there.

"It was amusing to torment you briefly after the glitter, remember coating Thor's bed in it. He was so angry at the both of us, I thought we would have to leave Asgard for at least a hundred years." He said and I giggled at the memory, that was a great prank in the long run. Plus Glitter is forever, just like some glues.

"You deserved the glitter bomb yourself, you picked on me for being short. And the way I remember it, I won the argument. Plus...boobs." I said and Loki laughed at me as he gave me a squeeze, it sounded good to hear him really, honestly laugh and I smiled.

"I do fear your leaving me, that could be my personal Hel that I carry." He said and I nodded.

"Yeah, but you would have to do something extremely horrible to push me away. Plus, I need someone around to prank Thor and the rest with." I said and smiled at him, hoping that he never would go back down that dark road again.

"I hope that I never will, there is still so much left to show you." Loki said and I let out a long breath.

"Can we please leave out the viral zombies and the weird genetic mutations? Also the Kree, and pretty much anyone else in the universe that wants to kill me?" I asked and I let my eyelids droop as I listened to his heart beat in his chest. The steady rhythm strong as I let out a yawn and smiled in the dark room, his hand rested on my hip and I giggled a bit. Thinking to myself about everything, I felt him shake me a bit.

"What was that?" He asked and I yawned again and smiled, drifting a bit as I let my mind wander.

"Just thinking about everything, how we both have all this anxiety from messed up pasts." I said and he made a sound to indicate that he understood. I glanced up at him and his eyes closed as he nodded his head, settling back as his arm moved up to my back.

"Do you believe that is why we both fit so well together?" Loki asked and I smiled again at him.

"Yeah. For some strange reason, it is why. We both make sense." I said and he shifted next to me and put both his arms around me, pulling me close as I drifted off to sleep.

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"Morning Twitch." I said as I walked past the chair with the sleeping computer geek, I gave his foot a kick and he jerked awake. He groaned and rubbed his face with both hands, yawning into his hands. Sometime in the last ten hours, he managed to find a change of clothes and took a shower. Trading his usual wear for a pair of tactical pants and a black sweater, he even removed the one ice blue contact and combed his hair back neatly. If his hair was not purple he probably would have fit right in with everyone else.

He rubbed his face as he checked the multitude of energy drink cans on his workstation and drained that last of one, having a tourettes moment as he jerked again. He threw half of the empty cans into the waste basket and shivered, the caffeine taking effect in his sleep addled brain.

"Hey Lilly. Feeling better?" he asked and I smiled at him, nodding and crossing my arms.

"Yeah, it is amazing what a nights sleep can do. How are you holding up?" I said and picked up the latest printouts from Ouroboros, hoping that the program found something useful. I had a huge score to settle with The Horsemen, and I wanted to know where they were.

"Good. Sup Chaos Bro." Twitch said and Loki raised an eyebrow at him, I flipped through the pages and read through the info on Adam McPhearson. Not much really came back, he had properties across Scotland, no real criminal record, the guy was basically a ghost in the machine. I closed the file and tucked it under my arm to give it to Fury later, he could send in a team to question the guy. If they could find him, the man was a jet setter.

"It pretty much translates to good morning Loki." I said and opened the second file, reading up on the Cargo Ship Rozsa. There was nothing much on it, except for a log of recent and predicted stops for the vessel, the earliest was New York and it was there currently. The owner was more interesting, and I felt the floor drop out from under me as I read about him, I closed the file and tapped it in the palm of my hand. Chewing my lip as I thought, and coming to a decision that seemed logical to me alone.

"What is it?" Loki asked and I looked at him, grinning and waving a finger in the air. I laughed to myself as I paced and shook my head, this one was a sneaky bastard. But I had him.

"Where is Fury and Tony? I asked Twitch and he shrugged. I rolled my eyes and walked out the door and stood over the Control Center, whistling through my teeth. Loki looked concerned and the woman named Maria Hill turned toward me, I waved the files and grinned.

"I need Fury or Tony Stark, you know where they are?" I asked and she though about it for a moment.

"Stark is in his berth, and I will have to get back to you on Fury. Coulson good enough?" She asked and I nodded. I shifted the files together, and gave her a thumbs up as I set off, pretending like I had the Crown Jewels in my hands.

"If you see either one, tell them I will meet them in the Conference room. We have a solid lead." I said and started walking toward Tony's berth.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so excited, or shall I guess?" Loki said as he followed me, I stopped and faced him with a huge grin on my face as he studied me. I waved the files at him and he rolled his eyes, knowing that I was going to be smug about something.

"I think I found out who Conquest is, and it is the first solid lead we have had in at least twenty-four hours." I said as Clint and Natasha walked toward us, both looking interested in our conversation as they approached. I turned and kept walking, making it my life's purpose to deliver this information to everyone in charge.

"Did you just say that you had a solid lead?" Natasha said and I nodded.

"Yeah, we found the owner of the Cargo Vessel Rozsa, and this guy has a background that just scrams that his is one of The Horsemen." I said and she looked at me and blinked. She looked surprised and proud of me at the same time, and it felt really good to impress the jaded woman.

"Great, Fury and Coulson are on the Detention Level, I will tell them for you." She said and ran toward the elevators. Loki, Clint and I continued toward Tony's berth and they managed to keep my pace easily.

"Typical Tony, everyone up and working and he is asleep. I guess he is special to the point of needing more beauty sleep that the rest of us." I joked and Clint laughed at it, Loki picked up a page I dropped and I took it back from him.

"You done impressing yourself yet Short Round?" Clint said and I laughed at him as we kept walking.

"I'm a woman Clint, I am always impressive. You men just keep failing to see that." I quipped and he laughed, I stopped outside the berth and waited. I rested my hand on the handle and took a long breath, opening the door and pivoting toward the room.

"Tony, wake the fuck up, you are not..." I said and stopped cold. I may or may not have gotten a glimpse of a nude blonde woman, and Tony Stark in the middle of what could only be described as a passionate moment. I also may or may not have turned seventy shades of red, and took a great interest in the ceiling. I did the math, his berth had 58 tiles in the ceiling.

"Oh God." I said and froze,Clint pulled me back into the hall and we closed the door quickly. I stammered and covered my face as I groaned at the image that was now stuck in my head.

"I think you are going to nee a lot of therapy to get rid of that one." Clint said and I nodded my head, feeling grossed out.

"Gross!" I said and shivered, trying not to cringe and make gagging noises.

"Hi Pepper!" Clint said through the door and Loki snorted his amusement, I knocked on the door and did my best to not die right there in the hall.

"Thanks for knocking guys." Tony said as he opened the door, wearing his pants and pulling a shirt over his head as I hid behind my hair.

"Short Round found us something." Clint said and I blushed deeper, waving at him and chewing on my thumbnail.

"We have a lead." I said and handed Tony the file, he flipped it open with a huff and went through the pages. I did my best to avoid eye contact as Tony glared at Loki, who was smirking broadly and enjoying the entire show.

"You really have something here Princess, good job. Just knock first next time." He said as Pepper looked over his shoulder. Reading the files and shrugging.

"Hi Lilly, good to see you again. You look great." She said and I nodded, the flush clearing from my face and smiling at her.

"Good to see you too Pepper, you look great as well." I said and Tony handed me back the file and rolled his eyes. I continued to chew my thumb, Loki pulling my fingers away from my mouth gently.

"Well, lets form a team and check out this boat. Princess, breathe before you pass out. We are consenting adults, you three are the ones making this awkward." Tony said and I glared at him. He walked back into his berth and I crossed my arms, angry that he would say anything like that to us. He walked in on Loki and me all the time, and made an even bigger deal out of us.

"Awkward." I said and Loki put up a finger as he slipped his hand around the handle quietly. He pushed the door open and I heard a yelp from inside, I clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress my shock and laughter.

"Not very amusing when it happens to you, now is it Stark?" Loki said and closed the door before a shoe could hit him. I let loose, laughing as I gasped for breath against the wall. Loki grinned in pride and Clint joined in, laughing himself as he leaned against the opposite wall. Two agents walking by gave us sidelong glances as my breathing regulated.

"Now that was great." I said as I wiped the tears in my eyes away, the door opened again and Tony stuck his head around it.

"You three need to grow up." He hissed at us and glared at all of us. I laughed again, making my stomach hurt from the exertion.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18.

"What do you think?" I asked as Fury flipped through the pages from the file and glanced up at me. Coulson was reading the other one, making notes on a tablet about the addresses associated with Adam and carefully flipped the pages over. He looked really impressed with my software, and I felt a bit proud at being part of the development, smiling at the two men as they continued to process the information.

"I think Ms. Hawthorne," Fury said as he closed the file in front of him. "That your software has proven to be a valuable asset, and that you may be correct in your belief that this Gregori Zeitsef is a higher up in the organization. However, I have my reservations and do not wish to step on the toes of the FBI."

"The guy is former Spetsnaz and a suspected Human Trafficker, how much more proof do you need? The FBI has been watching this guy for years, and somehow he keeps falling through the cracks. Someone has to keep pulling some major strings to keep this guy from ending up in a Supermax. I am willing to be that it is The Horsemen, and you saw how they got to us here. The FBI is like a revolving door of bureaucratic bullshit that keeps spinning, they would have no problem greasing a few palms to get this guy off their radar." I said, crossing my arms and sitting back against the chair. Tony, Clint, Bruce, and Natasha silently agreed with me, Steve sat back and let out a long breath. Once again, I was raining on the man's patriotic parade. I felt really bad for the guy, he was so out of the loop for so long.

"I know that all of you are itching to follow this lead, and we will. Right now, we have another very large fish to fry. Sometime last night, Sarah Matthews and our Merc from Scotland were both killed on our watch, for all current purposes, we are compromised and will remain as such until we vet every person on this ship." Fury said and I sat back in my chair, not believing what I was hearing.

"This place is starting to worry me, how long until I end up with another bullet in my chest or in my brain. We can't let this one get away from us either, we need to keep on the current course." I said, pushing my convictions. "We risk loosing them if we hold off on checking that boat, it is docked right now in New York Harbor, we can do this in a few hours and be back. There is nothing to it, if we bring a good team."

Fury knew how stubborn I could be, and I was ready to argue with him on this if I had to. No way was I letting this opportunity go, even if we found nothing on that ship, it was a risk I was willing to take. He had to see that, and agree with it.

"I am willing to go with her." Steve said and I nodded at him.

"It sounds like a simple sweep and clear to me, I will go too." Natasha said and Clint raised his hand to volunteer, Loki put his hand up and studied Fury.

"Some opportunities do seem tempting, I am very curious about this person myself. I believe that there may also be something more to this person than you believe, perhaps we will find something of use." Loki said and Coulson weighed it in his mind, the room going quiet as we all studied one another.

"We may not get another chance like this, if it is nothing then we screwed with a Human Trafficker. I just have this really nagging feeling that it really is something, you just have to have a little faith in us." I said and Fury fixed his gaze on me, he shook his head and pointed at Steve. I had a feeling he was not going to make this trip easy on us, and I had a bigger sinking feeling that I was going to have to fight Steve to prove myself right.

"You are in charge of this operation Captain. Anything you four find, report directly to me. Do not share any information with anyone in SHIELD that has not been properly vetted, we need to be careful fro the time being for leaks. As of now everyone is suspect in aiding The Horsemen, unless you are an Avenger. Am I understood?" Fury said and none of us really had any reason to put up an argument about this. We all agreed to his terms and then shut our mouths.

"Natasha, find Ms. Hawthorne some body armor and a new sidearm. I also want you all wearing body cameras for this, any evidence you find will be recorded automatically. I do not believe that I need to remind everyone to keep their eyes on Ms. Hawthorne." Fury finished and we all nodded.

"Nothing will happen to Short Round, she is one of us. And personally, I really want to see someone try to make a move against her with Loki with us." Clint said and I grinned at his statement. I did not want to be around if anyone messed with me, I imagine that Loki would have not problems making them scream for the last seconds of their life.

"Really bad things." I said. Loki gave a sheepish grin, agreeing with my statement as Steve gave me a thumbs up. He still looked worried though, and I wondered if Bruce had said something to him about my injuries. He looked away again and I relaxed, some things I was not ready to talk about.

"Half an hour, we will meet everyone in the hangar. Let's try to be professional about this as well, I don't think that Fury needs a bigger headache that the one he is already dealing with." Steve said, immediately taking charge of the operation and we all started moving as if we had a purpose. Natasha waved me over and the both of us heads toward the Armory to find me some body armor and a very big gun.

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Natasha and I exited the elevator at the hangar, and I slowly released that death grip I had on her arm. She patted me on the back through the ballistics vest I wore and eased away from me, I flexed my gingers gingerly to relax myself. She was going to have bruises on her arm and I felt really bad about it, I used a bit of my gifts to heal her as we waited to board the jet. Yeah, I am tough, all the way down to my gooey marshmallow center.

"You actually handled that well, you may be getting better at that." Natasha said, I rolled my eyes at her. I did try to hide my exasperation at her comment, just not very well.

"Remind me to tell you later why I don't like enclosed spaces." I said and zipped my jacket over my sweater, pulling it down over the Glock 1911 on my hip. I really did not need the gun, but it was a nice confidence booster when the chips were down. I felt kind of like Dirty Harriet with it on, but I had a million reasons to carry it at that point. Three of them were waiting next to the jet, exchanging amused glances. I let out a breath and walked with Natasha toward the jet, following everyone up the loading ramp and shooting dirty looks at Clint.

Natasha took her place in the pilots seat and I claimed a jump seat, where I hoped I would be left alone for a few minutes to recover from my brush with Elevator Hell. I rubbed my face and relaxed, sensing an invader in my bubble of solitude and sighed. Loki stood in front of me and I rolled my eyes at him, not feeling really chatty at the moment.

"You seem to have handled the elevators better this time, perhaps exposure to you fears is helping a bit?" Loki asked me as he sat down next to me, I gave him a sidelong glance and did my best to not chew his head off.

"Tell that to Natasha's arm, I think she still has the bruises on it from where I held on. But yeah, it is getting a little bit easier." I said and hid my shame, Clint walked by and handed be a bottle of water and I accepted it happily. I twisted the cap off and took a long drink from it, relaxing away my tension more.

"Don't be ashamed, your fears are yours Little Mouse. No person can fight the battles you have and not come through them unscathed, just lean to be stronger than you have been." He said and I smiled at him, knowing fully why he said it. He and I both knew this ship was going to be nothing but tight, enclosed spaces and unless I held myself together, it could end in total disaster. I leaned back and closed my eyes, picturing open fields of lavender, guided meditation like Sam walked me through before the shit hit the fan. I actually managed to smile at the image in my head and it helped relax me, maybe seeing him was not so bad.

"Are you ready for this Lilly?" Steve asked me and I gave him a thumbs up while swallowing hard.

"Do I really have much of a choice Steve?" I shot back at him and he laughed at my response, crossing his arms in that big brother way that Thor sometimes used on me. Not disapproval, but a reminder to mind my manners because I was getting too uppity. He never really had to say anything, the look was all that was needed at times.

"We can always let you off until we get back, but it would still be nice to have you along in case we need anything set on fire." Steve said and Loki gave a sardonic laugh next to me.

"Funny, and spoken like a true smart ass Steve, I am starting to corrupt you for sure now. Just don't go too hardcore on us, Tony will really freak out. Anyhow, I thought you guys needed me because I am the smart one." I said and Steve laughed at my joke, Loki cleared his throat and I rolled my eyes at him.

"There are two smart ones on this trip Little Mouse." Loki corrected me and I grinned at him, crossing my arms and cocking a smug eyebrow at him.

"Use a microwave Magic Dance." I said and Clint doubled over laughing at my challenge, Loki glared at me for a split second and gave into laughter himself. Steve looked up in exasperation and I grinned at everyone, I loved getting Loki's goat sometimes and he knew I never meant it. He dished it right back at me sometimes too, so I couldn't hold him in contempt.

"Intelligence is subjective remember that." Loki said and I laughed to myself.

"How have you two not killed each other yet?" Clint said as he checked his bow, glancing over at us and I shook my head. A slight jolt of turbulence made me brace my feet, and I debated hooking my belt before I fell.

"Mutual enjoyment of seeking knowledge, and she is very good at hiding." Loki quipped and I burst out laughing, throwing my head back as Steve shrugged.

"I sometimes wonder about you Lilly, but deep down you are a sweet girl. I think that is why everyone likes you, you got a good heart." Steve said and I smiled at him and Clint gave him a thumbs up in agreement. It felt good to be appreciated, and even better to be understood.

"Short Round does have a good head on her shoulders." Clint said and I blushed at the compliment, Loki rolled his eyes but put an arm around me and I giggled a bit to myself.

"Aw guys, you know I don't even get paid to be this cute. It is strictly volunteer work, but thanks. You know, I do wonder sometimes why you all put up with me at times. I am all sass and rude comments, I am basically a dirty mouth with feet." I said and Steve shook his head at me, smiling to himself.

"Because we are pretty mush used to you by now, and this job would be pretty boring if we kicked you off the team. Plus, Thor vouched for you, so you can't be that much trouble." Steve said and I smiled up at him, really liking the thought that I was a part of something and not just a novelty to everyone. I made me laugh they thought so highly of me, I was a regular pain in the ass at times. Steve wandered off for a moment and I smiled at Loki, he regarded me for a moment and tapped my forehead.

"What is it that is on your mind Little Mouse?" He asked and I took in a long breath, thinking about everything and how I should proceed.

"Steve really does not know me all that well, he would die hearing about the stuff we pull on Thor and the rest. We are both lucky we don't end up in prison or something worse. It is kind of nice being a part of the team too, I guess." I said and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you believe that they accept me as well, or am I just tolerated because of you?" He asked me and I shook my head, not believing that he assumed that. I felt that every body accepted him as well, why didn't he?

"I believe the accept you, you have helped with so much. Maybe there are a few old grudges, but they will let them go eventually and move on. Some of us are actual adults here, and we don't need to be brats about everything." I said and he smiled a bit, nodding at me as he thought about something, struggling for a bit and thinking. I let him have it, no pressure to express what he wanted to eventually.

"I do consider you my equal and my closest companion here, for what it is worth." Loki said and I smiled at him. "When we return to Asgard, I will insist that Odin bind us so that I may keep you as my equal for all time."

"I hope he agrees then, we are going to be in so much trouble when we get back, we are going to have to explain our entire existence in thirty seconds or less. This entire trip was only supposed to be a few hours. It turned into a damn week, he is not going to let us off the planet ever again." I said and groaned into my hands, Loki stayed calm and patient with me, I found it infuriating. He put his hand up and I glared at him in annoyance, thinking that he was going to tease me for being anxious.

"Heimdall is fully aware of out current state. I have been updating him and he has in turn, reporting to Odin what is occurring here. Both of them understand the need for us to be here, and we are allowed to stay and assist." Loki said and I relaxed, knowing that everyone knew what was going on and that I would not have to stop a homicide when we returned. A sudden realization made my stomach drop and panic cross my mind.

"Do they know I got shot?" I blurted out, and felt worry creep in as I looked at him. Loki must have seen it on my face, because he calmed me quickly. Taking one of my hands in his as he spoke, trying to not irritate me and failing at it.

"Yes they know. I had to inform Odin of the situation in case we needed to have you seen by Eir. However, Banner was very competent, and I was most impressed with his care." Loki said and I nearly panicked at the thought of everyone knowing what had happened here. Thor would be going insane with worry alone, and Sif would gut Loki for letting me get hurt.

"That cannot be good at all, I have to fight to keep them from killing you as it is. I'm surprised they have not already sent everyone there to beat the holy hell out of you for letting me get hurt." I said and he gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze as he laughed at my anxiety. I wanted to slap him to show him how damn serious the situation really was, at least to make him stop finding it all funny. It was not the least bit to me, and I felt myself getting mad at him.

"Calm down. If I had not said anything at all, the consequences toward the both of us would have been much worse. I even believe they would have sent Thor to collect us and bring us both back to Asgard, Heimdall reported from Odin that his instructions are to continue assisting and to be more careful in the future. You are also to be protected at all times, and not to leave my sight." Loki said and I relaxed, resting my head on his shoulder as we hit more turbulence. I tried my best not to give him a dirty look, but failed miserably. He deserved it anyways, he knew that I hated being kept out of the loop on things and this was pretty important information.

"How may times do I have to explain to you that the words 'calm down' mean nothing to a woman? And how many times do I have to explain to you that keeping me out of the loop is the worst thing you can do?" I said and he rolled his eyes, letting out a long breath as he did so. I sat up and glared at him, pinning him with my annoyance.

"I believe I should play dead now to save myself." Loki replied and I groaned at him in exasperation, I felt more anger come on and I was going to let him know it.

"Stop doing that, trying to be funny when you know you are in trouble. It is only funny so many times before it becomes obnoxious, this is serious and I want you to understand that I need to know that you are telling me everything. Because that are times I wonder if you are being completely honest with me." I said and he shifted back, looking me in the face as he sat still. His mind working at everything I just said, and I let out a long breath feeling stupid for everything I had just told him.

"Do you not trust me?" Loki said and his fingers tightened on my shoulder. A thousand bad memories flooded back of the men who turned me into a punching bag and I flinched, his eyes bored into me and I turned my head to the side as instinct took over. I did my best not to react this way, but there was no turning back now.

"I do. I trust you." I whimpered out and my brain replayed every bad moment of the hell I once lived, I shook and tried to squirm out of his grip and released me in realization of what he had done. He blinked at me and I sat back in my seat, putting myself back together for a moment and his hand found my cheek. His face was filled with sorrow and he tried to sooth me, he knew he had to be careful and sometimes forgot.

"I will keep you better informed in the future, please know that I would never harm you. That is my word and it is true." He said and I nodded as he looked at me, his thumb caressing my cheek as I calmed back down.

"It is just bad memories." I said and felt ashamed that I made him feel that I was afraid of him. His arms came up around me and pulled me close to him, bumping my nose and chin on his breastplate. Loki lifted my chin carefully and looked at me, seriousness crossing his face as he studied me.

"Do you still trust me?" H asked and my face crumpled, making me fight back tears as we both sat quietly.

"Always." I said and he kissed me, his hand finding my cheek and I closed mine around his.

"Any man that would harm you deserves no respect from his peers, I would punish them myself if fate had not taken them all from existence." He said and I relaxed against him, my cheek pressed against his leather covered shoulder and my hand holding onto his shoulder guard. I felt perfectly safe with him, and knew he would give up forever to keep me that way.

"Just communicate with me, that is all I am really asking." I said and he chuckled at me as his arms tightened around me.

"Is this one of those things that you find so attractive, or 'incredibly sexy' as you put it?" He asked and I laughed into his shoulder and smiled at him, wiggling my eyebrows at him. He laughed back at me and held me close again.

"Unbelievably so." I said and smiled at him, trying to hold back a giggle as I did so. A sudden jerk of turbulence nearly threw me off the seat and I had to brace myself before I hit the ground, bruising my arm as I braced. I sank to the ground in a controlled fall, and sat there. Loki stood and crouched next to me to help me stand back up, I groaned and saw Clint and Steve walk over to see if I was hurt.

"You O.K. Short Round?" Clint said and I nodded, feeling the ability to breathe return to me ans I sat back down in the seat. I hit harder than I thought, and it knocked the wind out of me for a moment.

"Yeah, just a random Gravity Check." I said and laughed it off. "Good news, it still works!"

"You did hit rather hard, are you sure you are not hurt at all?" Loki said and I nodded at him, I had a tiny bit of pain in my hip but it was already fading.

"Just a bruised ego, nothing permanent." I said and he nodded at me. I had been in worse pain in my life, a fall was really minor. There were worse scars on my soul, and a few people would have survived all that I had.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19.

Plum Island, New York. Now.

Stephen waited as the men unloaded his precious cargo with great excitement, the truck backed toward the reinforced concrete holding pen bumping against rubber bumpers with the protest of the engine. The twelve creatures obviously becoming restless as the heavy steel reinforced door opened for them, the trailer flush with the doorway and in position. His two companions, not told of these creatures until now, waited with trepidation as the truck finished shutting down and the brakes gave a final hiss. The last signal that the cargo was ready for offload, his excitement growing. The unblinking eye of his camera watching the handlers move into position, cattle prods at the ready should one of them get out of line.

"Amazing creatures, all of them. It is shame that we had to put three down, but we do not want the rest to think that they can turn on us. Their instinct to hunt prey, very fierce and most impressive." Gregori said as he walked into the room wearing his best dark blue suit, the other four men in the room regarding him with horror as he took his seat.

"Welcome Conquest, and it is a shame. But you are right on that point, we cannot have them seeing us as food. They need to know to respect us, and that we are their masters." Stephen said and returned his attention to the screens, smiling wistfully as the handlers opened the trailer doors and the dark interior of the container was exposed.

"What are they?" Daniel, said covering his mouth with his hand in amazement as the first one emerged and bobbed on clawed feet as it waited for the rest of them to follow. It sniffed the air, sensing and seeking out anything that could be a threat. Chirping into the darkened room, using echolocation to survey its surroundings.

"Frightening little buggers." Adam said and looked at Stephen, worry crossing his face that he had offended the leader of their group. His eyes went to Marcel and returned to Stephen who laughed, amused at the assessment the Scotsman had given of his children.

"Delightfully so, aren't they? Each one carefully bred to be an apex predator, they have strength, agility, and a hunting instinct that is unmatched by anything in nature. Their genetic code wonderfully nurtured and written, to be absolutely obedient and perfect. Of course there are some excptions, and they were terminated." Stephen said and he looked at everyone in glee, his smile hinting at madness but strangely sane to the men gathered. Gregori chuckled to himself and straightened his tie as he regarded the men around him, finding something amusing in their expressions where the others gaped at the screens in horror.

"The way you describe them my friend." The Hungarian said and chuckled. "You do them no justice, I watch them, they kill trained American Soldiers like they are kittens. Tear them apart like paper, they are fierce, but they are also terrible and frightening. The Avengers will piss their pants when they face them."

Gregori laughed to himself as the pack wandered down the tunnel and into the holding pen, herded by the handlers where they would sleep until the next feeding time. Meanwhile, the next phase of their plan would be long underway, the next carefully planned step to destabilize humanity and to make the world theirs. All the while proving that no government was safe from their reach, all in a calculated attack that would make the world fall to its knees.

"Phase Three, gentlemen. Perhaps it is time to discuss now how we are going to prove to the world that a change of reign is long overdue. Priming the population to accept their new leaders and heroes, which will be us." Stephen said and looked at around the room the table, each man waiting as he took a long breath and chuckled.

"When are ye going ta tell us about Phase Three? We did not even know about it until ye mentioned it." Adam said and Stephen regarded the man with great amusement. Daniel and Gregori even looked interested in what their leader was planning, Marcel tapped on his phone as he smiled to himself. The pet Psychopath doing something and grinning as he looked at the screen, making a few of the men feel unnerved. Stephen knew that his right hand man had everything in place, and that the upcoming attack was going to prove they were the ones with the real power.

"My friends, I wanted to keep it a very special surprise for all of you. And just like the previous attacks, you will not be disappointed at all." Stephen said and sipped his tea, smiling to himself in pride. The other three Horsemen studied him with varied interest, all waiting to see what new hell their leader was about to unleash upon the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well fuck, that is a big goddamn ship." I said and looked up at the Rozsa, the nine hundred sixty-five foot vessel was docked in New York Harbor and it was going to be a nightmare to fully search. It looked like any other boat waiting for offload however, and even Loki squinted at the massive ship in silent awe. Steve looked at it and let out a long breath, Clint just looked like this was just another day in disappointing his kids.

"What's the matter Short Round, worried that you might decide to become a Pirate?" Clint joked and I rolled my eyes in response. The Harbor Master walked behind us, doing a double take at Loki and Steve as he walked past. Their clothes may have given something away, and we were not exactly a part of the local theater group. He hurried along and walked faster as we remained somewhat in our hiding spot out of sight in the smartest move of his life, who knew what was waiting for us below those decks.

"If this ship is used to transport Mortals to be used for slavery, why do they leave it so unprotected?" Loki asked, obviously getting the idea behind Human Trafficking from my run down for him. Steve looked at him and let out an exasperated breath, I shrugged in response to everyone in the situation.

"Technically, he is right Steve. Those people eventually end up slaves, personally I hope we can find enough evidence if this is nothing to shut this bastard down." Clint said and I put both my hands out and let out a long breath. A gull landed on the railing we were behind and I pulled a pair of binoculars out of my pocket, I tracked along the length of the ship, looking for anything that I could I could find and patted Clint on the arm.

"One guy, armed with an Uzi near the front. Think you can hit him from here?" I said and Clint pulled his collapsible bow, he moved out from our position and let an arrow go. He ducked back down next to me, winking and I rolled my eyes at him. A few seconds later, the guy hit the ground and I put the binoculars back in my coat pocket, giving Clint a thumbs up.

"Yar, thar be our booty mateys. Dead men tell no tales, let us board the ship and bring back the plunder for One Eye Fury." I said and Loki rolled his eyes at my joke, Steve laughed and Clint clapped my shoulder as he handed me a shovel.

"Your sword Purple Eye the Terrible." Clint said and we started walking across the dock and up the gangway to the ship. I put the shovel across my shoulders and stood on the deck, waiting for everyone else as they followed.

"For your information, some of the most violent and ruthless Pirates were women. By the time they retired and started a family, they held an Armada. Let's start with the control rooms and work our way down, maybe we can find a shipping manifest and crew list before we get too crazy below decks." I said as I picked up the Uzi and checked the dead guy for more bullets. Clint nodded and I slipped the strap of my gun over my shoulder and let it hang next to my hip, I handed Loki my shovel and I used a tarp that was folded off to the side to cover the body.

"Good thinking, we don't need anyone seeing that and thinking about investigating. They were really women?" Steve said and we walked toward the wheelhouse, I grabbed my shovel back from Loki and carried it as if I were someone working on the boat. Clint picked up a bucket and we all moved quickly, checking the deck before heading up a set of steel stairs. I slipped on a pair of fingerless leather gloves and followed, Clint dropped the bucket over the side and I heard it splash in the water. Steve opened the heavy looking steel door to the control room and we froze, a man with another Uzi yelling at us in Russian and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes Steve, women. We have a stronger survival instinct than men actually, our fight or flight includes a third hardwired instinct: Protect the weaker beings." I said and Clint nodded.

"Anyone know Russian?" Clint asked and the guy fired off a couple of rounds in warning, Loki shook his head and I shrugged.

"Well, we need in there and I don't think he is too keen on visitors." Clint said and I nodded at him.

"On three?" Loki said and I looked at him wide eyed, freaking out about the fact that he was suggesting rushing an armed man. Suddenly a blur of green leather shot past me and Loki ran through the door, cornering the man and I heard him pop off a couple more rounds. Clint and Steve followed, rushing into the room and ducking behind a steel encased control panel. The guy had Loki cornered and I was having none of it at all, I tightened my grip on the shovel and jumped. I reappeared behind the guy and swung my club as hard as I could, hitting the guy right in the face with the steel spade. He staggered back, off balance and I raised the shovel over my head and brought it crashing down between his shoulders. He collapsed to the ground and groaned, my attempt at going Quest for Fire on the Russian working out well.

"Don't threatens my Loki asshole." I said and planted the handle of the shovel on the floor next to me. Clint zip cuffed the guy, and rolled him over to secure his weapon. The guy shifted and moved his legs, and I raised the shovel again, ready to strike.

"You can drop the shovel Short Round, this guy is not going to threaten anyone for a while." Clint said and slapped a strip of duct tape over the guys mouth. I rolled my eyes at him, propping my weapon up against the wall as we looked around the control room. I found a heavy looking binder on one shelf and flipped through the pages, scanning the cargo Manifest and finding an entry that really got my attention.

"I think I found something boys. If you are not to busy learning new horrible uses for duct tape over there." I said and showed them an entry for five cows, and twelve vampire bats.

"Who ships that kind of cargo?" Steve said and I continued flipping through the book, finding a manila envelope filled with hundred dollar bills. I looked at Clint and he nodded at me, I put the money into an inside pocket on my coat and continued looking through everything. May as well buy myself something pretty when this shit was over, and hell even I am not completely honest.

"That money was probably meant to bribe anyone in customs to look the other way, I am now willing to bet that there is a really nasty reason why it was not used." I said and flipped more pages in the shipping manifest scanning every page I could, car parts, six containers of imported goods, and several more that were filled with weapons for the U.S. Government form a manufacturer in Scotland. I pivoted the book and three sets of eyes read the page, I smiles sheepishly as Clint grabbed the book for evidence. Everyone was thinking the same thing I was, and it was another nail in the coffin for this Gregori.

"How much you want to be that those weapons are from Jupiter Engineering?" Clint said and I let out a breath. The guy tied against the wall groaned and shook his head, making me want to punch him for being part of this entire operation. I made a ball of fire in my hand, and grinned at him as his eyes widened at the threat.

"We found Conquest." I said and looked around the space for anything else, finding a large permabound book that had the ship's handwritten log in it. Steve opened several drawers and found nothing more, I was not looking forward to seeing what other nightmares we were going to uncover. Some things just had to be done though, and we unfortunately drew the short straw.

"Are we ready to go below?" Steve asked and I nodded, taking the book back from Clint and pointing them toward the door. I grabbed my shovel as I walked, propping it over my shoulder and saw Steve roll his eyes at me.

"What?" I said and shrugged. "Some people have a security blanket, I have a shovel. Besides, you never know when you are going to need to bury something."

"Works for me, just be careful swinging that thing, you are pretty deadly with that thing." Clint said and walked out the door and down the stairs we walked up, we followed and Steve pointed out a bulkhead door. He opened it and I mentally groaned at what I saw beyond, I further repressed a shudder and looked at the rest of them. The hall beyond was cramped but clear, however the confining nature of it did not impress me much. The lack of anyone else was hopeful, maybe we had lucked out and there was only two guys left to watch the ship though, hooray for us.

We walked through the door and into the hall, my heart slamming into my chest and making me want to run. Something settled ahead of us, making me jump and come to full alert. I was already trying not to give in to my claustrophobia, adding sounds from unknown sources was seriously not helping me at all. I closed my eyes and let out a steadying breath, pushing myself forward as Steve opened another door that revealed another set of metal stairs. I mentally groaned at the idea of going down the stairs and did my best not to show that I was ready to run for my life, I like to think I did pretty good at hiding how freaked the fuck out I really was.

"You want to wait up here Short Round, maybe give a signal if someone starts coming? You could probably beat them up with your shovel." Clint said to me and I propped the shovel up against the wall, clicked off the safety on the Uzi and winked at Clint.

"No way, she is not staying up here alone." Steve said and I somehow resisted rolling my eyes at him in response to his statement. His male need to protect the women folk was showing, and it was not exactly attractive to me.

"I am not made of glass boys, I can handle myself." I said and Steve groaned at my response, Loki looked like he did not like it either.

"We know that, but I don't see any windows down there and you tend to loose your mind in places like that. I am just looking out for you, and preventing you from turning me into a crispy critter." Clint replied and I heard Loki shift behind me, Steve sighed again and I threw my arms out.

"We are a team, and we are not leaving her behind alone. On top of that, we may need her because we do not know what is down there." Steve said and I glanced back at Loki, leaning against the wall behind me to let them argue among themselves.

"She is scared of enclosed places Steve, you know what can happen if she she becomes too upset or looses control of herself. You need to be more sympathetic to her." Clint said and I pushed off the wall suddenly and walked toward the stairwell, I shoved the book onto Clint's chest and pulled in a deep breath.

"What?" Clint said and I let out the breath, trying to be zen.

"What are you doing Little Mouse?" Loki said and I pointed down the stairs with the Uzi, shifting slightly on the balls of my feet as I tightened my hands on the gun.

"Pulling up my big girl panties and dealing with my fears." I said and ran down the stairs to the walkway below, not stopping and putting my feet flat on the open platform as I calmed my racing heart. Three heaver sets of boots pounded after me and I did my best not to hyperventilate, my mind screaming for me to get out of that area and run back the way I came. Loki walked up behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin when his hand found my shoulder, Steve and Clint studied me closely and I looked around at the huge, cavern like cargo hold.

"You O.K?" Steve asked, turning and scanning the hold for threats, I nodded and smiled proudly looking at Loki.

"That first step is always the hardest, I thought treating it like a band aid would be a good approach." I joked and I got a laugh back for Steve as I caught my breath. Slowly, I came back to myself and let my instincts stop screaming at me to find an escape.

"Next time, warn us before you do something like that." Clint said and I nodded at him. I squinted at the rows of containers in the dim light, the four of us looked at them and the amount of looking we were going to have to do became clear to us.

"What makes you think I am ever doing this again?" I said and followed Steve to another set of stairs down to the main floor. I wrestled with the anxiety brought on by years of claustrophobia, worrying that I was fighting a loosing battle. We moved among the shipping containers, and I noticed a rancid smell that reminded me of the Cannery in the Alaskan Island town not too long ago. I fought the urge to run on instinct alone, and shivered as horrible memories flooded back to me. Images of snapping teeth and hungry moans filled my head and I blinked as I froze in place. Steve and Loki noticed that I stopped and they both turned back to me.

"Can you handle this?" Steve asked and I nodded, pushing the flashback away to deal with later, I could not fall apart right then.

"Yeah, I can. I just need a minute." I said quickly and Steve looked at me as I took in a few breaths, fighting back my past. I shivered involuntarily, and steadied myself against whatever threat my brain imagined.

"You sure, we can't have you falling apart on us right now Lilly." Steve said and I fixed my grip on the Uzi and walked past everyone. I tried to look like it was a cake walk, and hoped it worked. I am a brave warrior, not a Desperate Housewife.

"Yeah, my inner demons just tied up my Fairy Godmother, then stole a unicorn and are now mooning people as they fly by. I'm not entirely surprised though, since they are my inner demons. Can we just get this bullshit over with, I really want to see sunlight again." I said and walked forward, Loki grabbed my arm and pulled me back, staring into me and leaning close.

"I smell it as well, it may not be them." He said and I nodded, pressing my lips together and letting out a long breath.

"I can do this, I promise. I am really focused on retiring right now from the Secret Agent thing though, you have no idea how out of this I am." I said and tried to pull away, but he held fast as Steve and Clint moved on.

"Tell me of it later, perhaps it will be healing." Loki said and we both walked on, catching up to the others. I pulled a small flashlight out of my pocket and used it to scan the area, checking the containers as I walked past them. I found an unlocked container, and saw the doors to it slightly open. I let everyone move on, letting my curiosity get the better of me. I pulled at the door a bit, but something with the hinges kept me from opening it further. I looked into the dark metal box, trying to see what was in it to give Fury something to go on. I felt an hand on my arm and nearly jumped out of my skin, turning to see Loki standing behind me. I gave him a look that screamed that his action was not cool and not necessary, rolling my eyes and putting my head into the crack to try and see what was in it. I peeked in and saw hard plastic shipping crates neatly stacked inside and pulled on the door more, it opened with a bit of protest and I had a space wide enough to squeeze in. Loki pushed me back and began pulling at the door again, the shrieks from the hinges getting Steve's and Clint's attention. It opened more and I slipped in, Steve and Clint walked in with me and I approached the cases. They were locked with a simple Master Lock, and I took the shipping manifest book from Clint.

"I think we found something. The shipping manifest for this container says it is Children's toys, but you don't pack them in plastic cases." Said and wrapped my hand over the lock and used my powers to manipulate it, the hasp popped open and I heard Steve give the stuck door a hard push. It freed the doors, and they swung outwards leaving us with a bit more light than my flashlight could offer. I unhooked the latches, and Clint moved me back, putting his hand under the edge of the cover and lifting it up and open. We all looked down into it and saw containers of chemicals, and I carefully lifted one to read the label. Ammonia Nitrate Fertilizer.

"That does not look like Barbie dolls, or tea sets to me." Clint said and I handed Steve the bottle in my hand.

"This is not good." Steve said and I climbed over another case to look near the front of the container. It was packed with more cases and I shook my head in disbelief, there was enough there to level Avengers Tower if they wanted to.

"What are they planning with this shipment?" Clint said and I slipped back down onto the ground. Steve put the bottle back, closing the case and letting out a long breath.

"It is packed with these cases, there is literally a ton of this stuff and I really do not think they were planning to grow wheat and feed the hungry with this stuff." I said, looking at Steve. He nodded at me and thought hard about the next five minutes.

"This is definitely all evidence, Fury needs to see this." Steve said and Clint agreed with a nod of his head. He walked out of the container to radio Natasha to inform Fury of our find, leaving us waiting for him to have an answer. We could hear him talking quickly and she repeated the message back to him, double checking that she had all the correct information. He returned and we all stood silently, processing the shit we had just seen. I chewed at my thumb to try to think of some alternative, but the reality of what we found was awful.

"This is not good at all, and it is starting to look like you were right Lilly." Clint said and I let out a long breath. Loki pulled my hand away from my mouth, making me glance at him with a bit of annoyance.

"You and I are in agreement Barton, it seems that we have found something of their next plans." Loki said as he pulled me out of the container and we looked around us. I pulled back and walked over to another container, putting my hand over the lock and opening the door. I slammed the book on top of another plastic case, and opened it. Nested inside was a dangerous weapon from Stark Industries, I had seen it only once but it scared the shit out of me to see it here. The sleek Jericho Missile laid inert in a case that was inside a container marked that it held car parts. I pushed the book at Clint and walked over to another one, opening it and finding it stocked with body armor. The next one I opened was filled with guns, lots of fucking guns and enough ammo to fund an army. I opened another one, using a pulse of energy in my anger to rip the doors off the hinges and found something horrible, I glared in anger at the tank and armored personnel carrier. None of the containers held what we were expecting, and I nearly lost my shit there alone.

I walked on, stopping and we moved quickly, I pulled a lock out of another container marked that it was filled with grain, finding several cased marked radioactive. Steve hissed in shock as we looked in it and I heard Loki open another container with Clint, showing us several Cruise Missiles, we convened between rows and I pointed at Clint.

"None of this looks good at all, it seems that The Horsemen are planning a coup of sorts." Loki said and I watched him walk toward the end of the ship. Something caught his attention, something in me knowing it was bad.

"Tell Natasha, they were planning a war and Fury needs to know all of this. What are you doing?" I said and cringed as the smell hit me in the face. I shook and felt my anger give way to abject terror, my hands tightened on the Uzi shaking as I backed against a container. Images of snapping teeth and dead eyes filling my head again, and I brought the gun up to the ready. I looked over Loki's shoulder at the source of the smell and backed away, bumping into Steve. There is no mistaking the smell of rotting flesh, and diesel fuel.

"What would be hiding behind that door?" Loki snapped and I felt panic claw at my throat as everyone joined me in looking at the heavy, reinforced bulkhead door in front of us.

"Could it be a trap? What if we open it and it blows up in our faces?" Steve said and I shook my head, scanning the door. I used my power and made lights that illuminated the walkway and the massive door in front of us.

"No detonator." I said, hoping that my voice was not shaking too much. I set the book down against the container and readied myself to face whatever nasty was behind the door, snapping the safety off and resting my finger along the trigger guard.

"Now that is not at all creepy. That thing has to weigh an actual ton, reinforced steel too." Clint said and I did my best not to run away from the door. My primitive brain began screaming that there was something dangerous behind the door, but my logical and sometimes rational brain said to calm down. Wait and see what was on the other side before I jumped into fight or flight.

"We are going to have to open it, Loki?" Steve said and Loki responded by rolling his eyes at him.

"I am no fool. You are in charge of this little expedition Rogers, I insist you go first." Loki said and gestured toward the door politely.

"Can we all just grow up and get this over with? Short Round, you want to cover me?" Clint said and walked up to the door, grabbing the central handle and pulling it sharply to the side. The door swung open freely and I screamed at the horror show inside, clamping a hand over my nose and mouth to cut the smell.

"Well, this is a very nasty smell." I said and did my best not to vomit. In the room, the walls were splashed in blood, and two cows were strewn across the room. Ripped apart by an unknown force, making all of us cringe.

"Just like Scotland." Clint said and I shook my head, walking forward and finding a laminated badge on the floor. I picked it up with a shaky hand and saw it was an identification badge, marked "Customs Official". I handed it to Steve and he shook his head as he looked down at the badge, something dripped on me from above and I looked up, stepping back and screaming again as I saw what was left of a human being pinned to a pipe above me. The body slipped down and landed in a heap in front of me, making everyone jump as I looked at it in horror.

"I think we found the customs guy, and this is way worse than Scotland, there animals were torn apart." I replied and watched Clint shut and secure the door, latching it with a resounding clang. I jumped at the sound and all of us stood quietly, the last of the echo fading and becoming hollow in the dim cargo hold.

"What were they transporting?" Clint said and I had a random idea. I ran back through the hold, grabbing the cargo manifest log and rushed up the stairs, racing toward the wheelhouse again. Three men chased after me, trying to keep up as I ran through the door and slammed the cargo manifest on the table. I grabbed the log book and began flipping pages. The Russian was protesting, swearing at us through is gag and thrashing about.

"Little Mouse?" Loki said and I turned pages in the large, blue permabound book shuffling through entries and comparing the entries to the cargo manifest in front of me. Clint punched the bound man in the face, shutting him up and stopping his muffled complaints.

"You keep thinking that hard, smoke it going to come out of your ears." Clint said and I put up a finger. I found the entries I was looking for and rubbed my face, slapping my fists on the table and shouting.

"It is all connected, holy fucking shit it is all the same thing!" I said and laughed to myself, my moment of genius rewarding me with concerned stares from everyone else around me.

"What? What is all connected?" Steve asked me and I turned the books to face him.

"Remember when Phil picked us up, how he talked about some weird attack on a bunch of Soldiers in Afghanistan?" I asked Steve and he nodded, Loki though about it and nodded as well.

"Two weeks ago, this ship docked in Scotland and loaded one container for Household goods, bound for a destination in Kuwait. But they docked in Karachi, Pakistan instead, that container was offloaded and the same one was loaded again three days later. The manifest saying that is was filled with rice, destination listed as Japan. But, and that is a huge but, they never docked anywhere in Asia. Yesterday, that container was loaded onto a truck, but no destination is listed. There is something really nasty in that container, and it is somewhere in this country. We need to talk to the survivors of that attack in Afghanistan, they will know what was in that hold below us." I said and Steve blinked at me, I shook my head at everyone and rolled my eyes.

"They would be witnesses, but Fury already questioned them. If they told him anything important, he would have told us already." Clint said and Loki looked at him.

"Not if he did not have time to speak to these men." Loki said, and I nodded.

"Call him and find out for sure if he spoke to those survivors, we need to know what we are dealing with. I want to know what the hell they made with my genetic information, and I want to know how dangerous they are." I said and slammed my hands onto the books. Steve jumped and Clint started talking into the radio again, relaying everything we discovered and the information we needed concerning the survivors. He said that we needed to know where they were taken, and if Fury actually questioned them before he was recalled to the Helicarrier. Loki smirked at Steve and crossed his arms, looking almost proud of me in a way.

"She followed the breadcrumbs Rogers, and now we are so much closer to the end." Loki said and Steve nodded at him.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20.

As it turns out, the shit hit the fan before Fury could question the survivors of the attack. As soon as SHIELD took over the scene of the ship, we headed toward Hohenfels, Germany to the military hospital where the survivors were being treated. We had three more days before the Army sent them home and they went back into civilian lives, we got lucky that we caught onto the manifests and even luckier that we found the soldiers when we did. If they had been reintroduced into Civilian life, they would have been harder to track down, and even harder to catch up to. Natasha pushed the jet onward over the ocean, and Steve paced as Loki and I sat in the jump seats. Clint walked up and smiled down at me.

"Fury is proud of you Short Round, he pulled several strings to get you full access to both Sergeant Knott and Private Witte. He is using all resources available to track the shipping container, and hopefully we will have a solid idea of where they took their box of nightmares within a few hours." Clint said and I grinned shyly at the compliment, humility being one of my worst qualities and it was coming through.

"You guys deserve some of it, if you didn't force me into that place, I would never have figured it all out. We wouldn't have the answers we do now, it was dumb luck really." I said and Loki shook his head, raising a finger at me.

"It was a clever mind." He said and I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He let out a long breath and licked his lips, getting ready to lecture or scold me.

"Stop selling yourself short Lilly." Steve said and stopped pacing. "You saw what was in those shipping containers, you probably stopped another bombing or even worse. You nailed this one, accept the praise and enjoy it."

"I will enjoy it when we catch them Steve, right now I am worried about finding out what was in that one container that is currently somewhere in the United States." I said and Steve nodded, I sat back and he resumed his pacing. I tried to ignore everyone around me, thinking about how I should approach the two soldiers to get what answers I needed.

"It was truly clever, how you fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Rogers is correct, enjoy the praise." Loki said and I looked at him, shaking my head and becoming exasperated slowly.

"If I am so smart, then why didn't I catch them months ago? Thousands of people would still be alive if I could have just put the puzzle pieces together earlier." I said, feeling angry at myself for not seeing the bigger picture sooner. I was right and I wanted some recognition for my failures not to be celebrated for finding the obvious.

"No one can see the future Little Mouse, do not blame this on yourself or feel guilt for it. You have done so much more to be proud of on this, and risked even more." Loki said and I sat forward to rub my face with both hands. He had no idea what I was risking now, and I intended to keep it that way for a bit longer. My sanity teetered on the edge, and I was starting to feel it.

"There is more to this, I can see it on you." Loki finished and I nodded, knowing he would not let it go if I wanted him to. He was good for that, and I probably would be hounded until I gave him something. I was to tired to fight with him there as well, and there was so much more that needed to get done before this was over.

"I had a flashback on the ship, the smell was just like Alaska and it all came back. That mechanical smell with rotting flesh under it, I saw them coming and I couldn't move. I froze and almost screwed everyone over because of it, we all could have been hurt or killed because of me." I said and looked down at my feet, doing everything I could not to feel shame. I felt his hand on my shoulder and he turned his body to face mine, his face sad but there was something more there.

"You did what you could, and I saw true bravery back there. You faced your fear of that terrifying space, you ran forward into the unknown and did not back away. That sort of courage is commendable and should be celebrated." Loki said and I blinked at him, not knowing what to say in response. I had almost forgotten how I faced my claustrophobia head on, I must have been out of my mind to do it too, under normal circumstances, I would never have done anything like that willingly.

"I must have looked nuts to everyone." I said and Loki chuckled to himself. I rolled my eyes, trying not to cringe at the mental image I had of myself. Clint walked back over to us and grinned, obviously noticing our conversation.

"Natasha says we have a few hours before we arrive, just in case you want to close your eyes for a bit." He said and I was grateful toward him for not picking on my moment of insanity back on the ship. If Tony were there, he would be relentless, and I would never hear the end of my adventures in the dark cargo hold.

"I may do that, thanks Clint." I said and he nodded at me. I looked back at Loki, he smirked at me and I shrugged. Clint walked back over to talk with Natasha some more, both of them laughing about something. Clint motioned like he was swinging a shovel and I groaned mentally, apparently I am deadly with gardening tools. I sat back and studied Loki for a few minutes, trying not to feel like a fool for being who I was.

"You really think that was brave?" I asked him and he laughed at me, regarding me with open amusement. He rubbed his palms together and I giggled a bit, feeling dumb for even asking.

"After a fashion, I do. I also believe that the fear you were experiencing from the act, played a role in your flashback. Too much at once as they say, but you did not fall apart during it. That in itself is a great moment of courage." Loki said and I nodded at him, he was right after all.

"Sometimes I am just scared out of my mind and being fool hearted is all I have." I replied and closed my eyes. I was debating taking Clint's advice and getting some sleep, the power of suggestion being a mighty thing. I was really tired as well, and we had a few hours before Germany.

"Don't let it put you into necessary peril." Loki said and I opened one eye to study him for a moment.

"Promise." I said to him and closed both my eyes again, drifting thanks to the hum of the engines propelling us through the air.

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Sergeant Knott and Private Witte were waiting for us in the small interrogation room when we arrived, both of them looking bored out of their minds. Steve and I decided early that I would ask the questions this time, I knew what information we needed and I was wanting to ask some very hard questions. We also agreed that both men had been through a lot of trauma, and maybe a nicer approach would be the ticket to get them both to open up. They were not criminals after all, they were victims of this insanity. All of it created by powers beyond their control.

"Babe Alert." The tall, blonde Private said, making me grin as I sat down across the table from him. The dark haired Sergeant looked amused but still sad, almost like he lost a part of himself in everything his life threw at him. His eyes haunted by everything he had experienced and had seen, a distant and long searching quality to them. I knew that look well, because I got it myself sometimes.

"Thank you for the compliment Private Witte, just don't let my fiance hear you say that." I said, flashing my ring and smiling at both men. Sergeant Knott studied me for several moments, and I opened a paper bag that I brought in with me. Showing them a package of cookies and four bottles of Coke. There were five, and Loki was enjoying the missing beverage in the other room and watching us as we spoke to the two soldiers. The Private's eyes lit up, but Knott just stared at the items with distrust.

"We thought that bringing treats would make this easier, and Lilly likes to support the troops any way she can. She is a real sweetheart to think about this for you guys." Steve said as I opened the plastic wrapping around the cookies and took one out for him. Witte claimed a Coke and took a long drink from it, grabbing two of the snacks for himself.

"Cap is right there. Sorry that I didn't really have time to bake for you both, we have been on the go since this all started. I am told that my snicker doodles are awesome though. Please, help yourselves there is more than enough and I don't need the empty calories." I said and Witte grinned around his mouthful of cookie. Knott took one and opened his bottle of Coke, taking a sip and reading the label. I felt a bit nauseous, so I nibbled at one of the cookies myself to keep the queasiness at bay.

"Real sugar, not that corn syrup shit they sell at home. I am impressed, you know how to make a couple of guys talk." Knott said and I nodded, smiling to keep looking pleasant and keep things light. He slid the bottle back and forth between his hands, his thoughts his own.

"Tell us, where is Moose and Squirrel." I said making Knott laugh. Steve sat back and smiled, obviously getting the reference, Witte looked confused but laughed anyways.

"She is always like this." Steve said, and Knott nodded, pressing his lips together while staring at the table.

"I guess you both know why we are here then." I said and both men nodded, Knott continued looking grim.

"I was asleep in the Stryker, Sergeant saved my life when it all happened. He saw more of them than I did anyways, I only saw what was left. The next morning, but I heard them." Witte said and grimaced at the memory.

"No one believes us anyways, fucking Docs say it was a random Taliban attack and that my head made it into something else. Everyone says we are just crazy, why the fuck should you be any different?" Knott said and broke a piece of cookie off, chewing it and washing it down with a swallow of Coke.

"Please don't speak that way in front of a lady Sergeant." Steve said and I laughed, Knott glanced at him and shook his head. Everything about his body language said that he was fed up, he wanted to be left alone, but also believed. He did not want another label, he wanted someone to believe that what he saw and tell him it was true.

"I believe you." I said and he looked at me, his mouth falling open. "I haven't even heard it yet, and I believe you. I know this is going to sound crazy to you, but the men who engineered these monsters have made much worse. Steve and I faced them, they killed people and will do it again. They killed your friends, they killed innocent children who deserved to grow up and have children of their own. I have nightmares about the monsters I faced, that these men made. I also think the only way to make the nightmares go away is to stop these men, before they make something worse and unleash it on the world. Whatever you are willing to tell me, no matter how insane it all seems to everyone else, I believe you."

The dark eyed Sergeant sat in his chair quietly, everything I had just said playing over in his mind. He let out a long breath and rubbed his face with both hands, relaxing his body and studied the table in front of him. I gave him the time he needed, patience was what the man in front of me needed and I could wait if I had to. I was probably the first person who told him that I believed his story, mostly because I had an unfair advantage over everyone he told it to.

"Thank you." He said, his voice a whisper but deafening in the silence of the room. I smiled sadly back at him, feeling bad that I was going to make him remember his own personal hell.

"Your welcome. Take your time, I am paid by the hour." I said and Steve laughed to himself, I knew the rest of the team was on the other side of the two way mirror and watching the conversation. I could picture Clint laughing to himself and I smiled at him, reaching out and folding my hand over his and waited for him to speak. Whatever Knott wanted us to know would come out on its own, and not a moment before.

"I can still hear the howls, the way they sounded across the desert before they attacked us. They were animal, but strangely human at the same time. Like somebody fucked a wolf, and that was what popped out." he said finally and I nodded, Witte raised his hand and I looked at him. I nodded, urging him to talk and get whatever he wanted to say out.

"It was like that, but more like the way bats see stuff when they fly. I can't think of the word though." Witte said twirled his finger, struggling to find the right word.

"Echolocation." I said and he nodded, pointing at me.

"Yeah that. You see, except for when they ran across ours, they never hit any of the Strykers. It was pitch black out there too, but they found all the people except for us. They were just like bats, the noise they made helping them find the food." Witte said and shivered, his face drawn and pale suddenly.

"That's good, any details you can remember about them help us." I said and Knott snorted. I glanced over at him and gave him a moment, he waved a hand in the air and looked annoyed with his friend.

"Except they were not fucking bats, they didn't fly. They ran, and maybe the noise helped them find the meat, but they were not bats. The claws they had on their hands and feet, they were huge, and they looked alnost human." Knott said and I let him have everything he needed, he was dead serious about what he was describing and I wanted him to keep talking. I scrambled mentally for a prompt, anything to get him to describe them more. I reached across the table to pat his hand, but he pulled away.

"Tell me what you saw. Please, we need this information to save lives." I said and he narrowed his eyes at me, judging my motives briefly. I knew that level of distrust, it came from being told to soldier on despite your wanting to break down. It came from being told you were crazy or worthless, it came from being belittled over and over again, until you were less than human. I let my understanding show, and tried to make him see that I understood. The Sergeant crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, pressing his lips together as he thought for a long time.

"I am not fucking crazy, no way. I saw Vampires, they were drinking blood from the Lieutenant, not eating him. They ripped the head off his shoulders like it was nothing and drank from the stump like he was a beer." Knott said and waited for my response. I folded my hands in front of me and nodded, hoping he knew that I was not judging him at all. He had my full attention, and I was not going to treat the gory details like they were his imagination run amok.

"Go on, anything you tell us is information we can use, even if it seems stupid." I said and both men gaped at me in surprise.

"You really believe us." Witte said and we all looked at him. Knott picked up the Coke and took a long drink, licking his lips as he remembered more for us.

"They did have pointy ears, not like an elf or that Tolken shit. Like a cat, but on the sides of their head, kind of like our ears. I didn't see any hair on the ones I saw, but their claws were hooked on the ends of their fingers. Fucking strong too, it takes a massive amount of force to rip tendons apart and bones out of sockets. These things did it like the men were paper, just tore them apart and drained them but they were skinny, like junkies or something." Knott said. I thought about what he had told us, looking at Steve and feeling pale. Witte looked relieved that someone actually believed the both of them, his grin widening.

"They were defiantly bipedal?" I prompted him and Knott nodded at me, letting out a shaky breath as he remembered that night. I felt sympathy for him, knowing what it was like to have something horrible in your head.

"Yeah, I think they did move on two feet. And they were fast, not like super speed, but damn fast. Their skin was weird too, it looked thick and rough, like leather or an elephant's skin." Knott said and rubbed his face again, looking at Witte briefly before studying the bubbles in his bottle of Coke. He seemed fascinated in the way they rose to the surface, floating along it and vanishing as they popped.

"Is there anything else you remember Sergeant?" Steve asked and Knotts head jerked to attention, his eyes narrowing at us as he thought. I pushed the package of cookies toward him and gestured for him to help himself, he looked at it and took a couple more.

"Yeah. The one that was feeding on the Leiutenant, it looked at me. The fucking eyes were really pale blue, I remember them because the bitch saw me before I closed the Stryker up." He said and I blinked at him, wondering what he meant by calling it a bitch.

"Why did you call it a bitch?" I asked him and he snorted at me. He closed his eyes a bit and returned to staring at his drink, picking up another piece of cookie and chewing it. Steve shifted in his seat next to me and we began the waiting game again, being patient with the traumatized man. Pushing for answers could just cause him to retreat further into himself, and we could not afford to have him doing that right now. We needed to know everything he did, and we had very little time to act.

"It had tits." The Sergeant said, washing the cookie down with a swallow of Coke. Every alarm in my head went off and I struggled to remain calm, Knott looked at me and nodded. The gesture meant to add emphasis to his answer.

"Thank you for telling us about these creatures. I know we appreciate it, and that it is hard to talk about some things." I said and he looked at me, pressing his lips together.

"You know, it makes sense if they are all female." He said, to no one in particular. He turned his head and looked at me, the look in his face making me very nervous suddenly.

"Why do you say that?" I asked him and he raised his eyebrows at me, making me a bit nervous.

"Because in the animal kingdom, the females are the more vicious hunters. In a Pride of Lions, it is the Lioness that has the stronger hunting instinct because she provides for her young. I also drew the fucking things, you want the sketchbooks?" He said. Steve let out a long breath and I sat back in my chair, Witte and Knott both looked beyond done. I remained silent, processing everything of this madness as two men entered. Steve stood up and offered them his hand, Witte took it and grinned.

"Thank you for the information, we appreciate it. We do want your drawings, if it is not a problem to let us have them." Steve said and both men left the room, I leaned forward on the table and continued to process everything.

"What the fuck did they make?" I asked the empty chair in front of me. The door clicked open and Clint walked in, looking as freaked out as I felt.

"Fury wants the recording brought back, that sounded disturbing at best." Clint said and I looked up at him. I picked up another cookie and my Coke, standing up and thinking as I chewed. This day was just getting worse, and I had a bad feeling the road ahead was longer and filled with potholes.

"The DNA reports on the ones in the jars said they had bat, feline, and human traits. How much you want to bet that the failures were female as well? I said to the two men and finished my cookie. I left the package on the table, not caring what the staff did with them. The envelope in my pocket paid for them anyways, I figured someone would eat them eventually.

"It would make Knott right then, that they used feline traits combined with female instincts to make them more powerful hunters." Steve said and I nodded, Loki walked in and looked at the three of us. I grabbed another cookie and laughed to myself, chewing the sugar and carbohydrate loaded snack as I thought.

"What is so funny?" Steve asked and I put up a finger to ask for another minute. I swallowed the food and flushed it down with a swallow of soda, Steve waited for my response. Clint crossed his arms and looked at me like I lost my mind, I probably did.

"If you think about it, they genetically made real life vampires." I replied, knowing how crazy it sounded. Loki knotted his eye brows, following the conversation the best he could. Clint helped himself to a cookie and chewed it, thinking and looking sick. An orderly walked in and handed me a black sketch diary, bound in leather and I began flipping through the pages. Sergeant Knott had a lot of talent in his drawings, and I admires one of a little girl standing against a wall and smiling.

"From the sound of what those guys described, they did." Clint said and Steve let out a breath. I resisted the urge to make a joke about getting drunk in Germany, feeling that it was too low of humor for the moment. I flipped through the book in my hands, finding the sketch and feeling the floor drop out from under me. There was a series of ten in total, and every horrifying detail Knott remembered was captured.

"Science is so messed up these days." Steve said and I mentally agreed with him, I still wonder sometimes how we made it through the Manhattan Projects. We sometimes overreached arrogantly into the can we, when we should be asking if we should.

"Because I am unfamiliar with your myths and legends, could someone explain to me what a Vampire is?" Loki asked, no one judging him for not knowing. I looked down at the picture in the book and debated with myself to ask him to take the two of us back to Asgard, but we still had so much work to do here. I turned the book around and I showed the three of them the drawing, Loki looking at the monster and turned the page to the face detail. Clint looked sick, and Steve shook his head.

"We need to give Fury this information, and we need to figure out where they took that shipping container. There has to be cameras along the way that caught them, toll booths, anything." I said and Clint nodded, I had to get back to the lab too. From there, I could run a search on which truck took the container and try to track it from there. If we found the owner, then we would have a chance.

"Good thinking Short round." Clint said and I nodded, stopping and looking at Loki as I snapped the book shut.

"Can I explain Vampires in transit? We may not have a lot of time on this." I said and Loki nodded. He could see my urgency and understood, the four of us leaving the room for the jet.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21.

Plum Island, New Your. Forty five minutes ago.

Death, War, Famine, and Conquest filed into the open room, the four men standing among the thirty separate workstations manned by some of the top Hackers in the world. Every last one of them recruited by Stephen himself, and every one of them loyal to The Horsemen. He found them among the disenfranchised youth of the internet, all of them wanting to topple a Government they saw as corrupt and uncaring. Tempted with promises that they would be part of changing the planet for the better, uniting the people as a unified voice in their quest. Death smiled as he watched the men and women work, all of them assigned to perform a task that would show the world his might.

"I am so excited to show all of you this Phase, I just know you are going to enjoy it thoroughly. The entire plan is brilliant, and I am most proud of it myself." Stephen said and clapped his hands together. The sound made the other three men and some of the hackers look at him, the latter slowly drifting back to their wort as the typed away on their terminals. He looked like a child on Christmas Morning to the rest of his entourage, but with a bit of madness that disturbed them in his glee.

"This is impressive as it is friend, but what are you showing us? What will we see?" Daniel said and gestured around him, everyone ignoring the newcomers again and staring at their screens.

"Patience my friend, patience. All will be revealed in a few short moments, and it will not disappoint you at all." Stephen replied and clapped his hands together again. All typing stopped and thirty sets of eyes converged on him, blinking as Stephen raised his hands out to his sides and smiled broadly. He was a mad King, addressing his subjects and everyone was afraid of him.

"I am so proud of all of you, each and every person in this room has proven their loyalty to us and our cause. Now, we are on the cusp of a new world, and you are helping us to build that world into something great. After this, we will prove to the masses that the tools designed to protect them are all illusions of safety and security. Those tools can be taken, manipulated to another use, and used to destroy their creators. We will be the ones to wield those tools and use them to bring about the downfall of the old, and again use them to usher in the new." Stephen said to the now quiet room, his smile wide as he lowered his arms and laughed.

"Let us begin my friends are eager to see you all work, change the world while we watch." He said and the sound of clicking keys started again.

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Nellis Airforce Base, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. Twenty two minutes ago.

The three Airmen walked among the fifteen thirty-six foot aircraft, ducking below their outstretched wings. They were readying the MQ-9, Predator B Drones for takeoff, but they knew what these hunter-killer drones really were. The Reaper Drone, with its nine hundred fifty shaft horsepower turboprop engine and their maneuverability that made them wonderfully agile in the air, was a force to be reckoned with. Each unmanned craft was capable of carrying fifteen times more ordinance than the MQ-1 and faster than their predecessors. The world had truly come far in the weapons of war, and this craft was the proof.

The three men performed basic checks of the weapons systems and the sensitive cameras mounted on the aircraft. One small speck of dust, or a loose wire could spell disaster for the seventeen million dollar drone. Leaving the three of them praying to whatever God who would listen to spare their careers, and them from another safety briefing in Power Point Hell. Each of the four Hellfire Air to Ground missiles that they carried were checked and double checked, on top of that each of the craft carried two five hundred pound GBU-12 Paveway 2 laser-guided bombs. Enough firepower on each to reduce a small Afghani village to a smoking crater in the desert, all recorded with the on-board cameras for mission debriefing later. Death from fifty thousand feet, and a targeting system included that made the accuracy terrifying to anyone below it.

It was getting to the point where wars would be fought from behind a computer screen one day, all in a nice air conditioned bunker. No risk to the troops there, and their lives would be pretty much guaranteed in the end to be long and lazy.

Finishing their checks, the three walked back to the shade and cracked cold bottles of water. Chatting among themselves, and sharing a smoke as the heat of the day came on them. They were completely unaware that the remote cameras mounted in the aircraft were watching their every move, coming to life not from the trained pilots in the hanger behind them but from further away. The three Airmen laughing to each other and drinking the water, when the sound of the engines starting in each of the drones startled them into silence, leaving them to watch in wonder as the entire fleet of aircraft taxied down the runway. With the attacks going on in the world, none of them were overly concerned about them. It was probably just some saber rattling from the higher-ups, a show of force to prove that the powers that be were still in charge. Right now, thanks to a presidential order, the only vehicles allowed in the skies above were Military and SHIELD. Not that it really mattered to these men, they were hot, tired, and overdue for a long rest.

The three of them went back to their conversation, stopping again when the doors to the hangar slammed open. Techs and pilots watching as the last of the multi-million dollar aircraft took off, hands on their heads and panic spreading among them like wildfire.

"Aren't those the pilots?" On of the Airmen asked, and another nodded. Their concern becoming fear as they watched three drones turn back toward them mid air, their panic turning to shock as the three Reaper Drones opened fire on the base below.

Across the world, the Reaper Drone program officially fell into enemy hands. Some used their ordinance to destroy their base of origin, the rest leaving for targets unknown. All the remaining top brass knew, was that their carefully constructed world had just become very insecure.

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We landed on the Helicarrier and I endured the elevator again, Braving the steel lined coffin that would haunt me for a long time. All I knew at that point was that I had to get the information in my arms to Fury, and he had to see it all fast. I asked everyone I crossed paths with where he was, and the word that I was looking for him spread fast. Some people even joining in in the search for the Director of SHIELD, and no one finding him for me.

I was still looking for Fury an hour later and I found him with Maria Hill in the Control Center, I hurried along toward him like a rocket propelled truth bomb. My arms were overflowing with the books and shipping manifests from the Rozsa, I tripped over a step and dropped on book. Loki picked it up and followed me, he had seen me like this before and he was used to me like this. When I was onto something, I could become relentless. I was a shark right now, and there was so much blood in the water that I had to chase it.

"Fury." I said and juggled the cumbersome armload. "We found something big."

"One moment Ms. Hawthorne." Fury said and turned his back to me. I let out a breath and rolled my eyes, shifting my load and dropping another book.

"This is really, really big though. Like Godzilla massive, I will explain that reference later Loki." I said and used my knee to shift the load in my arms before it all fell. I was not sure what to bring to him, so I grabbed everything that I collected. Fury continued his conversation with Maria, his back to me and annoying me.

"You really have to see this." I said and dropped Sergeant Knott's sketchbook, Loki picked it up and added it to his growing load. I felt my irritation grow, and I let it out with a resounding huff. I was back in High School, and the teacher was ignoring me for another student.

"YO! One eye!" I have a major motherfucking lead here, and it may just lead us to them!" I shouted, the entire area went dead silent. One man dropped his coffee mug in disbelief that I just said what I did, Fury turning and glaring at me. I shifted my load again and someone coughed, I may or may not have really fucked up in that second.

"That may have gone too far." Loki said. I nodded and swallowed as Fury crossed his arms, but I stood my ground. Mostly because I was too scared to move.

"We need to show you this, it is super important. And you have to believe me when I say that I meant no offense." I said, the silence still resounding through the open space as I shrank under his eye.

"You have five minutes. Starting now." Fury said and I dropped everything onto the floor. Shifting everything we found on the ship around, forcing my brain to kick over.

"O.K. So we checked out the ship, and you know about the Ammonia Nitrate, which is why you sent the Forensics Team in to collect everything. But we also found a hold on the ship, it had rotting animal carcasses in it and a very dead Customs agent, just like in Scotland but with no dead humans. On the way here, when all this shit started, Phil said something about a team or squad or whatever you call them, of Army guys being killed and that you were on your way to question them about the attack. But the attacks happened, and you couldn't make it to talk to them." I said looking for the cargo manifests and Loki tapped them on my shoulder. He crouched down to pick up some of the files and I opened the book.

"We followed a single cargo container from the boat, it went from Scotland, to Pakistan. Three days later that bunch of soldiers, I can't remember the term right now, was attacked and killed. Leaving two survivors and a whole lot of unanswered questions. Another three days later, that same container was loaded back onto the ship bound for New York. I think you know the rest." I said and pointed to the manifest, the license plate of the truck written neatly in blue pen on it. Fury looked at the book, turning the pages and reading everything in front of him. He handed me back the book quietly, letting out a breath.

"You have my attention Ms. Hawthorne." He said and I looked around me for the sketch book on the floor, pushing a few things around as I looked. Loki tapped me on the shoulder with the book and grinned at me, I traded him my binder for it and he went back to cleaning up my mess of papers.

"We went to Germany and talked to the two survivors, everything about their story scares the shit out of me too." I said and stepped over the pile, trying not to trample any of the pages under my feet.

"If you remember, those fetal remains in the jars were a combination of bat, feline, and human DNA. I had this super freaky feeling that those were the failures too, so I let the Sergeant just tell me everything. Those things tore through trained soldiers like they were paper, but did not consume the flesh. They drank the blood, and used echolocation to hunt their prey in the dark. They created the genetic equivalent of apex predators, but on a scale that scare the crap out of me. They were designed to hunt human beings. " I said and opened the sketchbook to Knott's drawings of what he saw. Fury studied them, taking the book from my hands and flipping the pages.

"What you are suggesting, ms Hawthorne, is that The Horsemen is breeding these things. But what exactly are they?" Fury asked and I sighed. He handed me back the book, my brain forming only one word that made sense to call them.

"Vampires, and they are now in a shipping container somewhere on the East Coast of the United States." I said and looked around for the file on the incident that I collected from the Department of Defense idiot in Germany. I nearly had to throw down to get it, but Loki worked his mojo and the guy handed it to me. Loki tapped my arm with the file, rolling his eyes at me. I gave it to Fury and he opened the file, scanning it and flipping to the pictures taken at the scene.

"Follow this truck. I want everything on it and where it may have gone in two hours." He said and I nodded, he grabbed my arm and pulled me over to him. "I am proud of you, but I am also pretending to chew you out, look very afraid. You did great out there, but we need you to go the extra mile and finish this before they strike again. We have word that several military installations around the world have been hit, and we are still collecting the details on the incident."

I nodded and he shoved me back, not hard but enough to make it look convincing. I picked up more papers and books off the floor, holding the shipping record in my hand and ran for the lab. I stopped and waved at the stuff on the floor, dancing on my toes as Loki let out a breath.

"I will come back for that, think of it as my thinking pile." I said and walked back to Loki, he managed to pick up the last of the files and books before I grabbed his arm and pulled him after me.

"Pity me yet Fury?" Loki said, picking up the load and followed me. The Control Center returned to normal, Fury glaring out over the people working below him. We walked fast and I went to turn down a hall, but Loki grabbed my elbow and corrected me.

"Damn place is a floating city." I said and played off my bad sense of direction.

"Am I allowed to know what you have planned, or shall I guess?" Loki said, shifting the load of books and papers under one arm.

"Every car or truck on the planet has a record behind it. Using the license plate of the truck, I am going to have Twitch pull the DMV records behind it. From there, we will have an idea of who owns the truck and we can maybe pull the records of where it went. If, and that is the catch, it is owned by a company that operates under contracts. If it is Owner Operated, we will have to go with plan B." I said and Loki opened the lab door for me, I turned on the ball of my foot and pointed my fingers at him.

"The Traffic Cameras you spoke of." He said and I nodded at him, Twitch regarded the both of us and made a gagging motion as I winked at Loki.

"You are so cute and smart, god that is sexy." I said and Loki grinned at me. "Twitch, I need you to pull some DMV records for me, can you do that?"

"Uh, yeah, and I think you both are giving me diabetes." He said and I laughed at his joke. He took the paper from my hand and I rolled my eyes, resting my hands on my hips. He started plugging away at the computer, accessing the DMV Database and entering the license plate numbers.

"Sass off to me again young man, I will take away your energy drinks." I said and he laughed, jerking as he continued typing away. I crashed backwards into a chair, letting out a long breath to slow myself back down. I was running a million miles and hour, and it was not good for me right now. The last two days had also been such a rush, that it was all catching up to me at once. I heard Twitch print off a sheet and yawned, processing more information quietly as I waited for the results.

"You need rest." Loki said and I gave him a thumbs up, agreeing with him. He looked a bit surprised that I did not argue with him, but pleased that I at least concurred with him.

"I am going to nap as soon as we get Fury appeased. I promise." I said and Twitch handed me the printouts. I yawned again and began reading the info he found, I was happy to have a description of the truck now. Not that there were not a million white semi trucks out there already.

"What did you guys find?" Twitch asked and I rubbed my face with my free hand.

"A whole lot of horrible, you would have hated it." I replied, looking up as Clint walked into the room. I regarded him as I flipped a page and read the sales records, nothing overly interesting and it was all just the usual stuff involved with a ten year old vehicle.

"It couldn't be that bad, you are not puking." Twitch said and I stopped reading, Loki raised an eyebrow at him and I sighed.

"Dude, smell my hair. I will never get this odor out, I am cursed to smell like a rotting corpse for all eternity." I said and went back to reading the pages. Clint laughed at me and Loki let out a breath, I was pretty sure the smell was in my clothes too.

"Vinegar will get rid of the smell." Clint said and I regarded him. "Did you show all that stuff we got from our excursion to Fury."

"Yeah, he seemed pretty impressed." I said and continued reading, I scanned the page and stopped as the bottom of my stomach fell out and through the floor. My mouth fell open and I laughed to myself, resisting the urge to call myself an idiot. The registered owner of the truck was Ghemma Pharmaceuticals. I shot out of my chair and ran down the halls, Loki and Clint on my heels as I slowed to a walk.

"Holy fuckballs this place is a damn maze. Where is Tony?" I said and Clint hooked my arm. He turned me back the way I walked and I started moving, crossing paths with Phil and Wanda in transit.

"Good catch on identifying another Horseman, that was really smart work there." Phil said and I grinned at him, tapping the papers in my hand.

"Thanks, but I found another one on accident. The big one." I said and his polite smile dropped, Phil's grew pale and Loki studied me for a moment.

"You have discovered who Death is." Loki said and I nodded, Tony walked past us and into the lab. I walked after him and whistled to stop him, Twitch looked up from his computer and grinned at me.

"I am searching traffic and toll booth cameras, don't get agro with me. My Kung-Fu is strong, but it takes time." Twitch said and I rolled my eyes. I did my best to ignore his statement and pointed at Tony, he looked at me a bit worried as he stood apart from us.

"Calm down Twitch, I am actually here for the asshole billionaire." I said and Tony looked at me, shocked and a bit upset at my insult.

"Fair enough." Twitch said and went back to work, most likely a smart move on his part.

"Woah!" Tony exclaimed, still coming to terms with what I had just called him.

"Shut up asshole. I need to pick your brain, and I need to pick it now." I said and shoved the pages at him. Loki laughed to himself, and grinned as Tony took them from me. Everyone in the room became quiet, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Princess, I am hurt. What the hell has you so wound up?" Tony said and he looked at the last page, his face going slack as he read. He let out a breath with his hand over his mouth, regarding everything he just read and looking back at me.

"Ghemma, holy shit. You found Death." Tony said and I nodded, his face looking waxy as I watched him.

"Yeah, I just need his name if you have it stored in your head somewhere." I said and Phil followed the conversation.

"That guy is such a prick, it being him does not surprise me at all. His name is Stephen Johanasson, he met with me a month ago in New York, the slimy bastard wanted to buy or merge with Stark Pharmaceuticals. The guy is totally full of himself too, but stays out of the...spotlight." Tony said and I frowned, putting the pieces together in his head.

"Just like War, and Conquest. They stay out of attention and are protected against anyone who would spy on them." I said and he nodded, Loki scowled and let out a breath.

"You know this man Stark, and you never thought once that it could be him?" Loki said and Tony crossed his arms, staring at him defensively as he huffed in exasperation.

"Number one, I met with him once. He was an asshole but is smart, not someone I would play golf with. He was creepy as hell too, and kept staring at the pictures...oh shit." Tony said and he stopped, his thought trailing off as reality hit him.

"He was looking at the pictures of me on your desk." I said and he nodded.

"Princess, I'm sorry. If I had recognized his voice, if something had clicked sooner, I would have been able to stop all of this." He said and pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through it and pulling up an entry in his contacts.

"It's O.K. Tony, we have him now." I said and took the phone from him, tapping send and putting the phone on speaker. It rang twice and connected, the same voice form six months ago answering, and I shivered.

"Mr. Stark, how good to hear from you again. I cannot stay on the phone long with you so forgive me if I cut to the chase, have you thought about or deal more?" Death said and I blinked, looking at the phone in my hand like it was a snake.

"Hello Stephen, or should I call you Death?" I replied, hearing a sudden gasp in response to my voice.

"Such a clever girl, I am so impressed with you all the more. The Little Lamb found her way through the woods and to me." He replied and chuckled. "Did you enjoy my game?"

"Fuck you and fuck your game. It is over Stephen, time to end it before you piss me and my friends off even more. We are giving you a last chance to surrender, and I really hope you don't take it. After this call, we are just going to come for you, and I am going to enjoy watching you squirm like a worm on a hook for what you have done. I personally hope I don't have to kill you though, I really want you to see a trial for this." I said into the phone, smiling as I said it.

"But if I do, you are going to choke on your own screams. That is my promise to you." I said, holing onto my control as Loki watched me closely for a slip. My hand shook and he laughed in response to my threat, his voice dark as he spoke to me through the phone.

"My sweet girl, there is still a game going on now. It is our move, you see my love, you are The Queen and the rest are pawns. You know how to play Chess don't you?" Stephen said and I froze, looking at Tony. My whole body began to shake, and I was screaming internally. What did he know about me, had Banner been hacked and now my medical records were in his hands?

"Checkmate my dear girl, please do me a favor my beauty, don't die." He said and laughed. The next thing I knew, Tony dove toward me and shoving me under the table. Then the whole world exploded around me.

Then there was nothing but silence.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22.

Plum Island, New York. Now.

The phone disconnected, leaving Stephen smirking down at the device in his hand. He knew she would learn his name eventually, but she did not truly know who he was. War stood near him, his face a complete blank as he stared into Stephen. He put the cell into his pocket and laughed to himself, his plans working so much better than expected. Soon she would be before him, and soon he would make the world his.

"She found ye man, it is over SHIELD will be here and kicking in the door ye daft bastard!" Adam shouted, panic lacing his voice as he spoke. He looked at the other men with him, and they silently looked worried themselves about her discovery.

"They are dealing with their own problems at the moment, and be careful what you call me Adam. You are slowly becoming a nuisance to me and I have the tendency to remove such things." Stephen said and continued to watch the feed from the drones. Another Hellfire missile shot off, hitting the massive fortress and sending a fire ball into the sky. They were crippling the carrier, and bringing Fury and his freak show to its knees, one carefully fired laser-guided missile at a time.

"I will not, ye heard the little cunt! She is coming for ye and us, I hope tha slut dies now before ye completely muck up the rest of our chances to get away. We all know ye want to fuck the bitch, but this has gone too far!" The Scotsman shouted at him, Gregori and Daniel edging away from the man so they would not be found to be part of his ramblings. Both of them knew he had gone too far, and there was going to be consequences. Stephen looked to Marcel, the quiet Greek nodded and walked forward silently.

"You may insult me, but you will not insult her Adam. Consider this your termination." Stephen said, his tone calm and collected, Marcel slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled his knife.

Stephen never turned back, his eyes focused on the screens as he watched. Behind him, Marcel grabbed the Scotsman's forehead and cut his throat, the dying gurgle background noise in his focus. He was waiting for a sign, waiting and watching for her.

"It seems our organization has an opening gentlemen, do not force me to make it two." Stephen warned, his eyes closing briefly. He opened them to see a lone jet leave the hangar and shriek across the sky toward them, the stylized logo on the wing revealing the cargo and Stephen smiled.

"I hope the woman is safe my friend." Gregori said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"My friend, I plan every detail carefully. Marcel, please have a crew take the garbage out, and ask them to clean the rugs." Stephen said and watched the chaos unfold. His arms folded behind his back, and his entire stance casual as he watched Fury's world crash down.

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Phil shook me, my ears ringing as Tony sat back on his knees. We had slid across the floor together and under the table with the explosion hit, the heavy furniture offered protection but I still ached all over. Twitch groaned and sat up from behind his cover as I looked around me, papers and things fell from above. A burning snow of destruction that seemed surreal, I looked down at my scorched pants leg and moaned. My brain suddenly clicked over to full panic mode, making me scramble around on my hands and knees.

"Loki!" I shouted, cringing at a burn on my arm. "Where is he?"

"He is out cold." Clint said and I crawled over to him, another explosion somewhere in the carrier shook us again. Clint felt for a pulse and found one, nodding to me and I let out a shaky breath.

"What was that?" I said and sat back, another explosion went off somewhere and I yelped at the shudder, more debris raining down on me from above.

"Hellfire missile, be glad it was not a direct hit or we would all be dead. We need to move him now." Clint said and looped an arm over his neck, I grabbed the other one and helped drag Loki out of the sealing lab. Both of us heading toward medical, and the burn on my arm screamed at me from the contact. Steve ran toward us in the hall and took over my position, probably handling the task better than I could. I followed them and we hurried, my hands holding the railing as we walked because we began to tilt to the right.

"Don't worry Short Round, he is tougher than he looks. Bruce will patch him up and he will be moody again in no time." Clint said and I nodded, keeping up with them the best I could. Another explosion went off behind us and threw me over the railing, I held on as long as I could, but my hand slipped and I landed on the control deck below. My feet hitting first and my body twisting in the impact, the pop in my leg making me scream as I lay back.

"Take care of him, I'm fine! Just knocked the wind out of me." I shouted up at them, lying through my teeth. They moved on and I looked down at the blood seeping through my pants, I had a compound fracture and I was not going anywhere. I lay on my back, crying with the pain and wanted to close my eyes and wake up somewhere else. Someone shook me and I moaned with the pain, looking up into an Agent's face.

"I'm taking you to medical, don't worry." The blonde man said and I sniffed back the tears, it made me feel better to know someone was there with me. Someone who could help me and get me where I needed to be, another living person in the chaos.

"I can't...I can't walk." I said and he cut my pants leg open to see the injury. He pulled his coat off and put it under my head, motioning for me to stay still and I nodded at him.

"Just stay calm, I am going to wrap it to stop the bleeding. It is going to hurt like hell though." He said and I shivered, two more agents moved in behind him. One lowering a gun and shooting him in the back of the head, I screamed as the dead Agent fell on me. His weight crushing me back into the floor, his lifeless eyes staring at me.

"Shit. They wanted her in one piece." One man said and I tried to push the body off of me and scream for help. A hand clamped over my mouth, and the other man pulled a syringe out of his pocket.

"We are giving them her alive, that should be enough for them." He said and put the syringe into my arm, I tried to jump but my body was going into shock. Nothing in my gifts wanted to work for me at all, I cried into the hand over my mouth and the plunger was pushed in.

"Hold her here, she is going to be out in a minute. I'm going to get a stretcher and other stuff we are going to need. That leg is fucked up, and needs setting, if anyone sees you with her...get creative." The bald one behind me tightened his grip around me, making me whimper in pain. My brain already started feeling foggy and I wanted to fight the two men, but my arms and legs felt so heavy.

"Hurry up then, the last thing we need is someone looking her. Especially one of the assholes that she is friends with, Fury alone is going to fuck everything up. We don't need them or Loki trying to stop us, I have seen that guy in action." The bald man said and my eyelids began to droop, I was so warm and the world was so far away. Like looking down a tunnel, and only hearing echoes of everything going on.

"With this shit going on? No way, they will not notice her gone for a long time. Just be glad the boyfriend is dead, that asshole is crazy." Blonde said and my body continued to relax, the world around me fading into black. I felt the ring on my finger being pulled off, and a tear fall down my face. I couldn't close my hand to stop him from stealing the ring, nothing mattered to me anymore anyways.

My last thoughts before the darkness swallowed me was about Loki and he was dead.

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It did not take his partner long to find a med kit, but they still had to work fast. He held the unconscious woman up as the other man did a quick field dressing on the leg and they lifted her up and carried her off. They moved through the halls fast, the other man carrying the rest of the combat medical kit with him, and they made for the hangar. The bone slipped back into place as they both worked, shocking both men, but giving them some relief that she was going to not be delivered completely fucked up.

"What did you do with the ring?" Aaron asked his friend, lifting the woman and walking with his companion. She was easy on the eyes, and her head flopped back and he wondered if he should brace it somehow.

"Left it for them to find with a note, we need to keep moving." He replied, climbing the stairs and tracking with his gun. Explosions continued to rock the carrier, one throwing Aaron off balance and he nearly dropped her. Her head and arm flopped, making him wonder if they were going to kill her trying to get away.

"How long you think we have before they realize she is gone? They all seem to like her, and you know they are going to look for her." Aaron said and the two men moved a bit faster, taking a longer route thanks to the main bank of elevators being down. They stopped in front of a freight elevator that was still in operation and waited. She moaned and cried out in her sleep suddenly, but did not wake.

"Come on you son of a bitch." His partner said, obviously growing ansty. "Did you remember to remove the transponder? I do not fucking need anyone following us."

"Yeah, hid it in a bunch of trash, they will not be finding us anytime soon." He replied, almost proud of himself. A larger part of him felt awful though, he was throwing away a five year career to kidnap a woman and deliver her to the guy they were hunting. A respected woman at that, he was risking everything to save his family. To keep a monster with a knife from cutting them to ribbons, the images on the phone flashed through his head and he shuddered. Aaron could not understand how one human being could destroy another so completely, strip them of humanity and reduce them to the images he saw.

"Good." The other man replied, an elevator opening." About damn time."

They both boarded the lift and another explosion somewhere rocked the carrier again, the lights in the elevator flickered. She remained thankfully unaware and Aaron felt that guilt cross his mind again, she was really pretty and deserved better than this.

"I painted the Logo too, just like they wanted. Is she going to be O.K, she is really deep. What if you gave her too much and she dies?" Aaron asked the other man looked at her, feeling for a pulse.

"She should be fine, I was a Combat Medic before this, I had to guess on the dose to give her. I will check her over in the jet, but she is tough. Most men would have passed out from the compound fracture alone. Just fly and I will worry about her." His partner said and the elevator stopped, opening in the hangar. They hurried across the open space, dodging debris and running for the open jet. Fire burned around them and there was an explosion off to the left that made both men duck, damn drones were going to not make this an easy take off.

They hurried up the open loading ramp, immediately crouching to put her on the floor of the jet. Aaron ran back and slapped the door close button and began his preflight checks, skipping a few things in his need to hurry. He moved faster than usual, and threw blankets at his friend to make her more comfortable.

"What are you protecting?" Aaron asked the man, he opened the med kit and started treating the healing wound on her leg. He paused a moment, sadness crossing his face and went back to work.

"My daughter, she is stationed in Iraq. They threatened to kill her if I fucked this up. You?" He answered, Aaron powered up the jet and waited for the hangar doors to open. Every second becoming an eternity.

"My family, do yoy think they are going to kill her? I do not want any part of a murder, especially hers." Aaron said, beginning to taxi into position toward the runway. He looked over to see Fury and Steve Rogers running across the expanse at him, they knew they had her. Both men raced after the jet, doing everything they could to stop them. Everything short of blowing it up or shooting at them, they would not risk hurting the woman on the floor behind him. At least he hoped that was the case. They picked up speed and blasted through the doors, shooting past the Reaper Drones. Both men becoming fugitives from everything they were once proud of.

"That was damn close." The man said behind him. He walked back to the woman and started cleaning and bandaging the burn on her arm, cutting the sleeve of her shirt to access it better. He threw aside the old bandages and focused on his task, her leg was splinted and healing but the burn was pretty bad. I was from her elbow to her shoulder and was blistering as he watched, he applied a cleaning agent and dressed it.

"You didn't answer my question." Aaron said, setting the course and relaxing back.

"I don't know, but let's hope she makes if hard on them if they do. Does that answer it?" The man replied, sitting heavily in a jump seat. He looked down at the prone woman and tried not to feel more shame, it was her or his daughter. And he truly wanted his daughter to live, even if this woman had to die.

"You told them didn't you? That is why they came after us." Aaron said, his partner glancing at him. He shifted in his seat and looked over at him, nodding as he spoke.

"I did." He said. "I wrote out everything an hour ago, made sure I got it all right too. I wanted them to know why we did it, I even told them where we are taking her. They will probably kill us, but we can still give her a chance. That is why I took the ring, so they would believe us." The man said and Aaron let out a long breath, he felt the same way. That this was going to be the last mission he would ever fly, and part of him was relieved this was it. Even if The Horsemen let the two men live, there would be no safe harbor for either one. SHIELD would hunt them both down, probably lock them both up for the rest of their lives after this.

At least their families would be safe, they would grow up and start families of their own. Aaron felt a pang of sadness take him, knowing he would not be there for his own children. But at least he gave them a chance, that is all that mattered in the end.

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Fury watched the jet vanish on the horizon, Steve and he unable to catch it. They had her, and now he was stuck with a task he did not particularly want. Steve walked back as the last of the drones were shot out of the sky, the sudden calm setting his teeth on edge.

"Loki still out?" Fury asked, Steve caught his breath and nodded at him. He could see anger on the man's face, something under it as well. Something beyond the duty he held onto, he wondered about his comrade's intentions. He also hoped it was just worry for someone he considered his friend.

"Yeah he has a concussion according to Bruce, he may be out for a while. And he may be awake now, we cannot tell with Thor and Loki what will put them out or what will put them down." Steve said, both men walking back toward the Control Center, hoping to trace the jet from there. It was the only chance they currently had to find where they took her and to get her back.

"That may be a blessing in itself right now, do you remember the extent of her injuries?" Fury asked and Steve shook his head. Fury watched the man closely as they approached the elevators, nothing about this situation comforting at this point in time. They had just been attacked, and no one was sure of the extent of the damage done to the Helicarrier. His most powerful Avenger was currently a prisoner, and he was about to have an angry God on his hands. On top of that, he had leaks inside SHIELD to contend with. It was starting to look like he could not fuse the cracks in his armor fast enough, and it made him very angry.

"She had a bad burn on her arm, I don't know what else. She could have gotten more injuries when she fell. We have to tell Loki, he needs to know and maybe he can do something to find her." Steve said, and making him nod at his line of thought.

"When he wakes up. We have seen him at his most dangerous before, I have a feeling he will become an armed nuclear weapon when he finds out she is gone. Banner let me in on something that could push him over the edge, we need to approach this very carefully." Fury said and the elevator dinged next to them. Natasha stood in it, the look on her face was beyond worry. Both men joined her on the lift, Steve pressed the button for their floor.

"Tony and Bruce is loosing their minds, Twitch is glued to a computer, running every search he can, Maria already pinged the transponder on the jet. The damn thing is still on the carrier, they pulled it and we now have no idea where they took her. Everyone is doing everything they can, but nothing is looking promising at all. Do you have a plan?" She demanded, her voice cracking as she spoke. Fury wanted to tell her that he did, but he could not lie to the woman. She and everyone else was worried about their friend, and with good reason. He appreciated her stubborn nature himself, and the way she always could think her way out of a situation. Resourceful was too weak a word to describe Lilliana Hawthorne in his mind, he could only hope that she would find a way to contact them soon. Maybe she could even feed them enough information to tell them where she was.

"Not at this time, have everyone assemble in the conference room when Loki wakes up and is able to meet with us. We are open to any and all ideas at this time, talk to Robert her friend and keep him working on any angle he can come up with. We are not going to give up until we recover her, or her body." Fury said and stepped through the open doors, folding his hands behind his back as he walked.

"Everyone in on board with this, we will not let them get away with this. I will break the news to Loki, he trusts me and knows that I will have done everything I could to keep this from happening." Steve said and broke off from the group to walk to medical, Fury did not envy the man's task and a thought crossed his mind.

"Good, keep me informed of everything. Also, ask Loki if he can use anything to track her or find her himself. Any angle is appreciated at this time." Fury said, the man thought about the question for a moment. He knew exactly what Fury was referring to and nodded slightly, he licked his lips and regarded the man in front of him.

"I will see what he can do, he may be able to, we may be banging against a brick wall. I hope he can do something, because she is out there now, and we have no idea where they took her." Steve replied, turning back around and walking away.

"Are you sure that Loki lowering the concealment is a good idea? It could bring everyone hunting for her down on us." Natasha said, her brows knitting in concern. The two of them continued walking, moving to the side as several Agents and Techs rushed past. In a hurry to repair damage and get the Helicarrier ready for the next mission, everyone on the vessel moving as if they had a purpose.

"I am, do you have concerns about my judgment?" Fury questioned her, she let out a breath and tried to keep her cool.

"It is too risky, and it may make a bigger problem in the long run." Natasha replied and they walked past the lab, every person in it working and shuffling papers and debris. Tony hurried to the doors, his eyes asking the question they all wanted the answer to. Fury shook his head and all activity stopped in the new lab, faces fell and Tony hung his head. Clint put both of his hands flat on the table, shaking his head. He spun around in one smooth movement and threw a coffee mug at the wall, it shattered and the pieces fell for a long time. They kept moving and walked past the former lab, the purple haired hacker shifted through the burnt remains. He shook his head and hefted a hard drive onto a cart, their program still existed at least. That alone was a godsend, they could still use it. He sifted through the remains again, finding nor things of use and looking sad.

"So is Banner when he lets his friend out Romanov. We are currently at war with a faction that compromised the military, crippled our defenses, and has one of ours as a prisoner. We need answers, and we need them now." Fury replied, facing the woman and making his point clear and she nodded at him. She knew he was right, and did not argue further.

"Understood." Natasha replied, behind them, from somewhere in the carrier and echo of a male scream found them. The sound made Fury shiver, knowing the emotional pain carried on it and knowing the source of it. The scream was a lament for a single light among a million stars, it was that persons anger and rage combined. It was a vow that would never be broken, it was resolve set in stone.

"Loki knows." Natasha said, Fury nodded his agreement. The rage carried in that sound was enough to shake the foundations of the universe.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23.

He flexed his hands and looked at the persons assembled around him, all the faces angry and united in a single purpose. His own anger a fire that was growing unchecked, one of his hands phased blue and he clenched his fist. Watching it return to it's normal color, and calming himself briefly. He would kill this mortal personally, make him lament taking her. He would suffer greatly for his transgression as well, he would ensure that. Rogers told him everything, making sure he was given every detail of the attack. The ruse used to secret her away, to steal the most precious thing in the known universe to him.

He had not said very much to everyone in the room since he had woken from the injury, but they all spoke to him. Words of resolve, promises that they would all work to recover her. Promises to make their world burn to the ground in the process, punishment that would come for their act. Such a resolve that could not be shaken from each of them, words that indicated the failure was not an option in their minds. It was not an option in his, and Loki wanted the make The Horsemen all pay.

The doors opened, and Fury, Coulson, and Hill entered, he tapped commands and the faces of three mortals displayed. The one marked with the identity of Death made his rage flare, the face of the man sparked nothing but hate in him. He longed to wrap his hands around the man's throat, watching the life fade from his eyes as he smirked down upon him like a vengeful God. Squeezing on the mortal's windpipe and cutting off his air before laughing and reveling in the struggle, fair punishment for taking her from him.

"As you are all aware, a few hours ago we were attacked and one of ours was taken prisoner by The Horsemen. I do not believe that I need to tell any of you how important it is to recover Ms. Hawthorne, she is our friend and ally and I know all of you want her safe as well." Fury said and turned his face away, closing his eye and swallowing. Fighting obvious emotion, collecting his thoughts and himself before continuing.

"We, at this time, have not received any ransom or demands for her return. From all analysis and from the psychology of her captor, Ms. Hawthorne is most likely still alive. It is believed that the head of this organization, Stephen Johanasson or Death wants her or to use her as a weapon against the world and us. We will not allow this to happen, our mission is every clear at this point. You are still a team, emotions and personal vendettas are yours. You are to bring down The Horsemen and recover Ms. Hawthorne, even if it means recovering a body." Fury finished and everyone was silent, Loki glared at Fury for suggesting that she could be dead. He was also hoping that he was not suggesting killing her in the process of the attack, he would kill Fury for harboring such thoughts. He took a book out of his jacket pocket, tapping it in his black gloved hand briefly. Throwing it onto the table and everyone looked down at it, the cover labeled 'The Prince.'

"Ms. Hawthorne gave me that book from her own collection, she said it was guidelines for how a leader should act at all times. One passage alone stands out in my mind: 'If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.' Is anyone here in doubt that we will not be able to strike back so hard, that we will never be questioned again by any entity?" Fury said and all eyes narrowed, his point made very clear.

"I say we rain hell down on their asses and make them scared of their own shadows." Rogers said, Stark shifted in shock, looking back at the man. Nodding seriously at the man, no sarcasm on his demeanor as he sat forward.

"What Steve said." Stark replied, his bandaged hand from the cut he got shoving Lilliana to the ground bothering him. He saved her from the missile that nearly killed all of them, and Loki was grateful for the gesture alone. He nodded at the men, and they returned it.

"I think we are all clear on our mission, we are working on finding them now. Twitch is running seven new searches through Ouroboros as we speak, he will let us know the second he finds anything that may be useful." Natasha said, looking exhausted but wanting to go back into the fight. Loki's jaw clenched, fighting with his own demons that wanted out and to kill. She was still out there, afraid and alone, but alive. He was willing to raze the entire planet to find her and bring her back as well.

"Anyone have any ideas where they took her to begin with? Because right now out hands are empty, we have nothing to go on and we are grasping at sand." Stark said, his face drawn as he looked around the room. He saw an empty chair and closed his eyes, the vacant seat a silent testament in his mind to the person who should be there.

"We are working on it Tony." Clint said. "Short Round will try to contact us, why she has not tried to escape yet tells me that they have her sedated or she is hurt."

"Can't you do something to find her?" Rogers said to him, his face drawn and filled with regret for letting them take her. He shook his head, letting out an exasperated breath.

"I believe I would have done it if I could have by now, what I do is not parlor tricks. I would use one ability that I do have, but it requires me knowing where she is. Without knowing beyond a doubt, it would be impossible. I do have my limitations, and they are frustrating at times. I would also drop my concealment of her to use Heimdal, but I fear revealing her to the universe with no way of protecting her. The Kree still have a price on her, the bounty alone is temptation enough for anyone to come to this planet after her. I do not believe you wish for that to happen, especially since this little realm is experiencing a bit of it's own troubles." Loki replied, pinching his lips together, searching his mind for other options. Frustrated when he was unable to find anything useful, he was supposed to be much more clever than this.

"Anything from Asgard, will they send Thor?" Fury asked, Loki shook his head.

"Nothing at this time, the message was relayed but they are still deliberating if he may be granted permission to leave. I can only hope that Odin with allow it and overrule The Council." Loki replied, Natasha looked down at the table and wrestled with her own thoughts.

"It seems that Odin is not as keen as we thought to keep her safe, he should have sent Thor days ago." Fury said and Stark nodded his agreement. Loki thought hard, finding himself agreeing with the man. Everything Odin had done up to know, was showing that he was not truly invested in her protection and he was further dragging his feet toward saving her.

"It looks like we are still on our own." Natasha said, her face set.

"We will find her, and them. We have done it in the past without help, we can do it again." Stark said and the quiet fell over the conference room again, a silence so loud, it drowned out a multitude of voices.

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I woke up and looked around me, taking stock of my surroundings. I saw the burgundy canopy over my head, and blinked at it. My brain was unable to process what was going on, struggling with the information my eyes was giving it. I was definitely in unfamiliar territory, and the sensations around me were messing with me. The bed under my back was soft and the duvet was made from matching velvet, lace curtains on the windows, and dozens of pillows under my head. I was not back in Asgard, my bedding and furniture was light and there were open windows in my rooms.

I sat up and looked at the dark wood furniture and shivered in fear, taking in the Victorian accents around me. A vanity stood against one wall, a silver brush and mirror set on it, perfume bottles and a large mirror over it. Everything in the room had to have taken months to stage, and it was meant for me. I was trapped in a gilded cage, and I was not getting out.

I looked down at myself and found I was dressed in a ruffled white cotton nightgown, shivering at the thought that someone had undressed me and looked at my body. I concentrated on the lab back on the carrier and tried to jump, but could not do it. Something was very wrong with me, and I became scared that I had lost my abilities completely. I swung my body around and tried standing up, collapsing to the ground from the pain in my leg. I used the bed to pull myself back up onto it, grabbing the duvet in both fists. I huffed on the bed, catching my breath, wanting to hit something and curse my body for not healing faster. Instead, I pulled the nightgown out and looked down at my chest, finding the scars from the shooting were completely gone. I slipped my arm out of the sleeve and looked at the skin, it was not even pink where I was burned, giving me some relief.

I still had my powers, just something was holding them back. I needed to figure out what, and if it could be reversed. The door clicked and the lock pad next to it blinked green, it swinging open and a man entered. I pulled my legs up onto the bed and watched him closely, not trusting anything about him. He smiled widely at me, and every perfect tooth stood out. He had a covered tray and he set it neatly on the table off to the side, smoothing his suit jacket before turning around to greet me. His blue eyes were predatory, and they took in every detail of me as I curled into a ball and hugged my knees. His brown hair neatly cropped and I refused to take my eyes off him as he turned, the look on his face making me shrink back on the bed.

"You have nothing to fear from me my dear, I am so honored to have you here, and even happier you are awake. I assume that you do not need an introduction from me Lilliana, you are so very clever and even more beautiful." Stephen Johanasson said, and I shivered as Death walked toward me and put his hand on my foot. I pulled it back quickly and shivered at the contact, keeping my eyes on him. He frowned down at me and sat down on the bed, turning his body to face me.

"I know you are frightened Lilliana, but I worked very hard to make you this lovely room. Every detail a gift from me, an unworthy man to be in your presence. You are so special to me, that I wanted this room to have every luxury available. I hope it pleases you, because you are so very important to me my little lamb." He said and stood up, walking across the room and opening wardrobe, shifting through the clothes and removing a silk evening gown, the peach fabric layered to drape beautifully. The ruched accents between the breasts were gorgeous, any other woman would have swooned for a dress like that. He held it up toward me and smiled, picking up a stiletto heel that was obviously designer. The red sole giving it away instantly, he turned the small shoe in his hand and smiled wider. I played along with his game and looked interested in the items, craning my neck to see the clothes in the cupboard.

"See, so much thought to your comfort. You will want for nothing here, and everything you want is yours. All you have to do is ask." Stephen said and put the clothes back, he closed the doors and walked back over to me. I curled tighter into my ball and escaped into myself, afraid of what was coming next.

"Why?" I asked him and he smiled down at me, holding his hand out and waiting patiently.

"Because you are who you are, a beautiful goddess that should be worshiped by humble men willing to bow at your feet my dear." He replied and left his hand open.

"You must be starved, let me help you to the table so that you can eat, before it all gets cold." Stephen replied and I slid forward, nervous and trying to make him think he held all the cards. Sometimes the easiest men to manipulate are the ones who have a hard on for you, I intended to use that card to my advantage.

"Please don't hurt me." I whimpered, playing the scared little girl. He laughed at my statement, closing his hand over mine and helped me stand. I recoiled at his touch and jumped, trying not to look too scared.

"I would never dream of such a thing my dear. I have so much intended for you, and you will never know pain or suffering anymore. Now however, I wish for you to eat. When you are rested more and dressed, I will introduce you to your most loyal subjects." He said and sat me down in the chair, pushing me toward the table and guiding my feet to a padded stool. He lifted the cover on the tray and there was a perfectly prepared plate with lobster tail, steamed vegetables, and a small dish of a custard I had never seen before.

"Eat my dear, this is all for you." He said and a knock came from the door, he turned and used a card from his pocket to open it. He laughed and clapped his hands, taking the wrapped box and the bottle of wine from the man standing in the hall. I picked up the fork and picked a bit of the lobster, putting a small bite in my mouth.

"I forgot the wine, I am so sorry Lilliana. I was so excited when I heard you were awake that it slipped my mind." He said and poured some into the glass on the tray.

"What did you do to me?" I asked him and he smiled, his eyes sparkling with madness at me.

"We developed a serum, it inhibits your gifts but allows you to keep your healing and immortality. We will be giving it to you every twelve hours, otherwise you would be able to run away from me. We cannot have that, now can we?" He said and put his hand on my chin, tilting my face up to him and his thumb brushed my cheek. I wanted to shiver and throw up at the touch, but I held back.

"I guess not." I said and he smiled at me. I had to keep playing this safe, there was too much on the line for me and I was not going to loose any of it. He tapped the box on his thigh and his smile faded, I internally panicked. He saw through my ruse, I continued to freak out on the inside and he released my chin. I looked back at the food, scared that I was about to eat my last meal.

"I have waited so long to touch your face like that, it was everything to me my dear. Thank you for allowing me that small gesture." He said and I nodded, trying no to upset him. I couldn't think of anything to say, that was how scared I was so I looked at the plate. I picked up the fork again and picked at the lobster tail in front of me, putting another bite into my mouth and smiling at him.

"This is delicious. I have never eaten lobster before, now I see why it is so expensive." I said, doing my best to hide that I was trying to get him to tell me where we were. Small details were the most revealing sometimes, Loki told me that once. He smiled and walked around the table, sitting in the chair across from me. He smoothed his tie and placed the box on the table in front of him, part of me wanted him to brag about this complex. Tell me anything and everything about it, give me a region at least.

"I am glad you approve, it is fresh from the waters of Maine. Taken from the ocean this morning for you to enjoy, everything for your delight and comfort my dear." He said and I smiled as I took another bite, his bragging told me East Coast of the United States. I amazed myself at how easy it was to get that much out of him, I wondered if I could get more if I just asked him outright.

"It is yummy." I said, he laughed at me and waved his hands in a gesture that told me he found me cute. He sat back and crossed his legs, clearing his throat and patting the box in front of him. I put my hand out for it and he narrowed his eyes at me, pulling it back toward him.

"Presents are for delightful ladies who finish their dinners, eat your fill little lamb. Then I will spoil you with delights you cannot imagine." He said and I ate more of the food and pouted. Turning up the girl factor and using what strengths I had on my side, hoping that I could win him over enough to brag some more.

"You darling little girl, you are winning me over with your quiet charms. How could I deny you any gift, this world is yours and The Horsemen are your devoted servants. Me especially." He said and slid the box towards me. I picked it up and sat back in the chair, it was heavy and for the size and it surprised me. I toyed with the ribbon, rubbing it between my fingers and found that someone had shaped and buffed my nails. I felt violated at the act, mostly because someone had changed something about my body without my permission. It took everything I had to not chew at them, ruining the work out of defiance.

"Drat." I said, smiling at him. "You found out my secret plan, I was going to charm you into letting me go."

He chuckled at me, his eyes never leaving me and lingering where I did not want them to. I sat back and did my best to remain calm while he eye humped me, I hated myself though for what I was doing. Being flirty with this monster was making me sick, but I kept telling myself that I had to do it. My inner bitch wanted out though, and I was so tempted to indulge her. This man took everything from me, my gifts, my sense of security, my friends, and Loki. I nearly burst into tears at that last thought, the memory of the two men saying that he died in the attack was fresh in my mind.

"Open the box silly girl, I want to see your face fill with happiness at the gift." Stephen said, I turned the box over in my hands. I brought it up to my ear, shaking it like a little kid. He chuckled again and motioned for me to open it, leaning forward on his hands and watching me.

"I am not used to getting presents, I was an orphan and no one ever gave me one. The wrapping is so pretty, and the ribbon is just like in the movies." I said and untied the bow, setting it aside. I hoped he believed my lie, the only presents that ever mattered to me Loki gave me. All of them so far away, the thought making those tears that threatened to burst through come. One spilling down my cheek and I sat there, he shot out of his seat and pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket. Dabbing my face and frowning, I wrapped my hands around the box.

"My dear, my poor, sweet lamb. I did not mean to upset you, I am so sorry. I only meant to see you smile, your childhood was so terrible. I know, the poor little lost lamb, forced by cruel fate into this lions den." He said and I forced the tears back, smiling down at him and cradling his face in my hand. If I had known I would have him eating out of it, I would have cried earlier.

"I know." I said, he closed his eyes and covered my hand in his.

"Such warm, gentle hands." He said and I cringed inside myself. The adoration in his eyes made me sick, I was not a doll or an idol. I sat very still though, I wanted to pull my hand back but I was afraid to move. He cradled my hand a moment longer, then guided it back to the box in my lap. He quietly walked back to his chair and arranged himself, smiling at me again in that perverse way. I lifted the box and smiled back, holding it up and looking at it.

I slipped my finger under the paper and he watched, I broke the seal under the tape and setting the paper aside with the ribbon. I opened the top of the white rectangular box and lifted out a velvet covered box from inside it. He studied me with keen interest, and I felt naked under his stare. I smiled though, and opened the lid slowly. The necklace and earrings inside the box had more diamonds in them than I had ever seen in my entire life, my eyes went wide and his grin said he was pleased with my reaction. I held it up and blinked at it in amazement, the stones glimmering brightly in the light.

"Fifty-eight diamonds, four sapphires, and thirty two pearls. A small trinket to show our devotion my dear." He said and stood up, walking around the table and carefully taking each earring in his hand. He moved my hair back and put the earrings on me, motioning for the necklace and I gave it to him. He unhooked the clasp and turned it around, settling it around my neck. With a sudden jerk he pulled it tight with both hands, pulling be back in the chair and I grabbed at the jewelry. He hunched over and held me with one hand on the chain, not choking me, but making a very clear point.

"I know what game you are playing my dear, and you are not fully aware how dangerous it is for you. I advise you to tread lightly and accept that you are now mine. I would hate to hurt you or anything worse out of punishment, am I very clear on this?" He said, his breath hot on my cheek as he spoke. His grip on the necklace tightened and I nodded, he relaxed the tension and hooked the clasp and allowing it to drape around my neck. His hands swept my hair back over my shoulders, his fingertips brushing my neck.

"Beautiful, I will have to spoil you with more gifts soon. Finish your meal my dear, I will see you in the morning with your next dose of serum. I shall dream of you tonight my sweet little lamb." Stephen said and used the card in his pocket to leave the room. I shivered and pulled the earrings out of my ears followed by the necklace. There was no way in hell I was letting that bastard near me again, no way he was ever going to touch me.

I picked up the silver knife from the tray and looked at the card pad next to the door, forming a plan in my mind. Now all I needed was a distraction.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24.

The new lab was unusually quiet, the one called Twitch left the program running and left to sift through the remains of the old one. He returned, dirty and covered in sweat from helping the rest of them, Loki scanned the pages of recovered evidence, his mind unable to focus completely on the task and he let out a long breath. He thought about her, they way she looked through every page and checked everything twice before putting the files aside. She was so thorough, and she left no avenue unchecked. Her brilliant mind so careful and concerned that she would miss some small detail in reaching the goal. He rubbed his tired eyes, and closed them briefly hoping he would open them and find her standing across from him.

He was exhausted, but he would not give up. Not until every avenue had been checked, and every hiding spot for these men revealed. He put aside another folder of papers, pinching his nose and leaning his head back again with his eyes closed. He needed to clear his mind, to focus somehow on finding her.

"You look like you need this, Lilly said you like them." Twitch said and put a can of Coke in front of him. He opened both eyes and nodded, opening the drink and taking a sip from it.

"Thank you." He replied tersely, picking up another file and stopping because the mortal was looking at him. He glanced up at the purple haired man, pressing his lips together in annoyance.

"She wouldn't want you burning yourself out looking for her, like you didn't want her burning herself out finding you." Twitch said and jerked, his condition not helped my his added stress. He was also looking for someone he considered his friend and Loki let his lecture pass.

"And what would you know of it?" Loki snapped at the man in front of him, he was in no position to give any orders to him at all.

"I know her. Dude, we were tight. She would score me identities all the time, she was slick too. Anytime she needed plates and vins, she would trade me a stack of Drivers Licenses she stole off of tourists. Lilly would also always tell me to take my time getting her stuff, not to stress it or she would tell me to take a walk when I couldn't figure shit out. She was so cool that way. When Michael got too hard on her, she would crash at my place and we would hang out and just shoot the shit together. Totally into Ancient Aliens and that bullshit, she is Hot Rods of the Gods now." He said, smiling at his memory of her, letting out a sigh.

"How were you both so close, you are not fond of women." Loki challenged him and the strange man jerked again. Twitch laughed at his statement, scratching the back of his purple hair and sitting in a chair. He picked up a file and opened it, closing it again a few second later and tossing it back.

"We were friends Chaos Dude, she is the kind of person you could trust to have your back. She does not let people down and she does not give up, you should know this bro. We started out in school together, these dudes were beating me to hell and back. Lilly, she stepped in and beat the shit out of one of them. They rest turned on her and took turns turning her into a punching bag, the whole time she made smart assed remarks. She never screamed or begged them to stop, eventually, the dean of students found them and they got suspended for beating up a girl. After that, we were friends, she would eat lunch with me and she just knew we were both freaks. We had to stick together. I am glad she found you though, she needed someone good in her life though Chaos Bro." He said and grinned, staring at him and Loki could not help but chuckle at his statement.

"Her tenacious nature is one I am very familiar with, as well as her nurturing one." Loki replied, the computer him alerted the Twitch's search was complete. The man stood up and walked over to it, jerking again as he entered more commands as he talked.

"You got more of her than I did. Anyone for that matter, she does not just let anyone in the door bro. You got to work hard to get to that level of trust with her, she also does not give second chances with anyone. Mess with her in a bad way, and she will slam that door in your face. She does not burn bridges, she nukes them then salts the earth after her." Twitch said and looked over at his shoulder at him, Loki smiled to himself. He was actually respected by the mortal, and that respect was earned.

"She is guarded with many persons, it is how she has survived for so long." Loki said and his friend nodded and laughed to himself, still typing commands into the computer.

"Shit man, she survived. The girl I see now is thriving, she is a whole different person than the one I knew." He replied and looked at him. "Don't worry bro, she will find a way to get out. Trust me on that, she always finds a way. She almost got her card punched by a bunch of Gang members in White Center a long ass time ago, she managed to get out of the trunk of their car on a freeway and hauled ass across four lanes of traffic. She has more lives than a damn cat Chaos Bro."

"Fuck, all the searches are back and there are twenty eight properties and holdings for all three of those assholes." He said and ran his hand through his hair. Loki stood up and walked over, looking at the screen and pointing to one.

"Twenty seven if you exclude that one in Scotland, that one was taken during out first excursion. Show me how to fully find information on my own, we split the list and begin at once." Loki said and Twitch opened a computer for him, the man jerked again and opened a page setting the tools out for him. Loki knew enough to use the tools front of him from previous times, but lacked a general skill set to use it fully. Twitch sat down in a chair and put an unopened can of Red Bull on the desk in front of him, he moved the drink aside so it would not block his view.

"Saddle up Chaos Bro, you Kung-Fu is about to be very strong when I am done." Twitch said and began showing him how to fully operate the computer in front of him.

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It was late, I lay on the bed for the final check of the night, pretending to be fast asleep. The olive skinned man had just left, taking the tray with him and dimming the lights. If he had lifted the cover to look for the fork and the knife, I would have been sunk for my plans. Lucky for me, he just took it away.

As soon at the door clicked shut, I went into action. Crawling off the bed and heading straight for the wardrobe. I pulled a gown off a hangar and grabbed two bottles of perfume off the vanity. Not many people realize how many flammable materials are used in their fashion, their real loss. I opened the bottles and poured them onto the dress, the perfect accelerant next to diesel fuel. I did not want to burn the place down, just make enough smoke to attract attention. I them yanked the cord from a bedside lamp, stripping the wires using the knife, creating a small arc of electricity to ignite the fabric. As soon at the dress caught, I did the girl thing and started screaming for help.

"Fire!" I shouted and used a towel to fan the smoke under the door. I heard footsteps running down the hall and kept up my Oscar caliber performance, slapping my hands against the door and I called for help.

"Someone help, please! There is a fire!" I screamed and stood to the side of the door, armed with my fork. The pad turned green and I waited, grinning to myself. A single Security thug opened the door and pointed a fire extinguisher at the blaze, I stabbed him in the thigh and pivoted on my toes driving the palm of my hand into his nose and putting his lights out. I snatched the card from his belt key ring and was through the door before he could recover. I drove the fork in my hand into the jamb of the door, holding the door shut just in case he had a back up card. Everyone in the building was most likely asleep, and I was free to run.

I limped down the hall as fast as I could, favoring my bad leg and using the wall for balance. I found a stairwell and carefully descended to the ground floor, a few minutes more and I would be outside. I opened the door at the bottom and found myself across from an office, the hall around me dark and quiet. I slipped out of the stairwell and began limping toward a door marked as an Exit, the green sign glowing like a beacon to me. Suddenly the alarms started going off and I could hear people running my way, I thought fast and ran for an office door. I ducked into it and closed the door behind me, locking it and looking for options to hide until the threat passed.

I heard someone run by, and they tried the door. I slapped my hands over my mouth and backed away, bumping the desk and looking for a hiding spot.

"I left the master keys in the office upstairs." I heard whoever it was say, and they left. I needed to lay low and hopefully get my abilities back, wait until I could jump. Just in case though, I needed a strong Plan B. I was scrambling and my brain was running a mile a minute, panic clouding my judgment.

I looked around the office and saw the normal stuff, but the one thing that made me really happy was the phone on the desk. I picked it up and put it to my ear, hearing the sweetest dial tone in the history of mankind. I started dialing Tony's cell from memory and stopped, his phone was probably ruined in the explosion. I searched my photographic memory, and five numbers came to me. I clicked the receiver and dialed Steve's number, listening as the phone rang. I went to voicemail and I cussed to myself, hitting redial again and listening.

"Answer you phone Steve. I'm begging you man." I said and I heard him answer, mentally cheering as he began talking.

"Hello?" Steve said and I gasped, fighting back the urge to sob. I ducked down and hid under the desk, covering my mouth to keep the sound from traveling.

"It's me Steve, it's Lilly. Please believe me." I said, my voice shaking as I spoke. He went silent and I could hear him fumble with the phone, I guessed he was excited to hear from me too.

"Lilly? Holy...oh my...are you O.K? Where are you?" Steve said into the phone and I could feel myself wanting to cry.

"I don't know, the only thing I can tell you is that I am in the United States. Probably East Coast." I said and I heard him walking, I let out a shaky sob and I could hear doors opening as he moved.

"Just stay calm, I am going to get someone to put you on speaker. I can't figure out how to." He said and I panicked at the sound of more activity outside my door, pulling myself further under the desk.

"I need you to listen now Steve, I may not have much time before they find me. I am down the hall from a fire exit and I am going to run for it, but my leg hurts. I will hopefully find a car I can steal, you guys need to trace this number in case I get caught. It will give you an idea of where I am, and you guys can find me. If I get away, I will call you in three to four hours. It will give me time to put some distance between me and them." I said, shaking with fear and trying not to let my voice crack. The one voice I really wanted to hear was gone, and I fought back the urge to sob again, I let out a gasp and tried not to cry out at the hollow pain in me, I had to hold it together.

"Wait, don't hang up Lilly." Steve said and I could hear him say something to another person off the phone. I wiped my face with my hands and let out a long breath, waiting for Steve again. He was probably going to have me talk to Phil or Fury, they would have questions for me for sure.

"Are you still there?" Steve asked and I sniffed.

"Yeah Steve, I'm here." I said, making my voice stay even and calm.

"I got someone here for you. He might be able to talk you through this." He said and I heard him hand the phone to someone else, It was most likely Phil. He would give me instructions and was probably tracing the number now, I waited and knew I would have directions to a pickup point soon.

"Little Mouse?" Loki said into the phone and I gasped in relief, everything inside me did back flips and the sound of his voice.

"You clever woman." He finished and I smiled in my hiding spot, relieved to hear his voice.

"Loki? You are alive? They told me you were dead." I said and choked back tears, trying to stay quiet so no one would hear me.

"No, they told you lies, I would think you were smarter than them to believe that I would be killed by them. Why have you not used your gifts to return, have they hurt you?" He said, I could hear his anger through the phone, the final question coming out low and growling.

"They injected me with a serum that suppresses my abilities, they have to give it to me every twelve hours. I can't even make an illusion right now." I said, I could hear him let out a breath.

"You still have your mind, think your way out of this. I know you, and I am always impressed by how well you adapt." Loki said, I heard someone outside the door, two men talking and I took in a sharp breath out of fear. I covered my mouth and stayed still, begging them in my mind to move on.

"Lilliana?" Are you still there?" Loki said into the phone, I heard the men walk away and I relaxed.

"Yes, someone was outside the door. I couldn't let them hear me. Loki, I'm scared, they are going to hurt me if they find me. Death... he..." I said and choked a bit as I started to cry, wiping my hand on my face and calming back down.

"What did he do?" He asked, this voice dripped venom and I shivered. The anger was not directed at me, but I was aware that Stephen Johanasson was going to suffer for this.

"Nothing yet, but the way he looks at me, it terrifies me. I have to get out of here." I said and shivered, looking down at the lace ruffles on the night gown.

"Do not show them you are afraid, we will find you through any means necessary. I will find you." Loki replied and I tightened my grip on the phone. The plastic creaked in protest and I shivered, I was about to drop a bomb on him. The same bomb that Bruce dropped on me a few days ago.

"Loki, I have to tell you something, please stay calm. I'm scared, I, I don't want you to get mad at me." I said and looked down at my hand, naked in the pale light. I wanted my ring back, and someone had it. I just did not know who had it though.

"My anger is not directed at you, I swear that to you." He said and I sniffed, holding the phone to my ear and bracing myself.

"Bruce Banner ran my blood after the shooting...he...something came back in it." I said and cried into my hand, I could hear him breathe and I wrapped my arm around my knees. My heart was pounding off my ribs and I shook, afraid to tell him.

"What is it, nothing is so terrible that you should fear telling me." Loki said, his voice even but straining with fear and emotion. I took in a deep breath and steadied myself, ready to say the two words.

"I'm pregnant." I said and I could hear his breath exhale sharply, everything in his world crashing down on him.

"Loki?" I said and I could see him in my head, shaking with anger at me for not telling him. Even angrier at The Horsemen for kidnapping me, I was scared that this was it for all of us.

"You have to run, do not let them harm you. Keep yourself safe, hide if you must. I will find you, I give you my word." He said into the phone, the desperation in his voice evident. I nodded to nothing and tried not to cry more.

"I'm so sorry I did not tell you earlier. I'm sorry." I said and he shushed me.

"You truly are everything to me Little Mouse. I love..." He said but the phone cut out, I looked at the receiver in my hand and tried not to cry. I scrambled out of my hiding spot and was going to press the redial button, but the olive skinned man was there. He held his hand out for the phone in my hand and I shivered in fear.

"Please give me the phone." The man said, I handed him the receiver and stepped back. I pressed my back against the wall, afraid of the calm man in front of me. He neatly set the phone back into the cradle, extending his hand to me. His other hand sent a text to someone else, smiling as he hit send.

"Please don't hurt me." I said and he tilted his head to the side, putting the phone into his pocket.

"My orders were to find you, not to hurt you. You have only one option right now madam, cooperate and come with me." He said, his voice completely calm. Something about him told me he was dangerous, like a lion fish, beautiful and serene but venomous. I had no choice in the matter, I walked forward and he rested his hand on my back, guiding me back up the stairs and to my cell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The silence in his ear echoed, her voice gone. Numbly, he handed the device back to Rogers and swallowed hard, sitting in a chair nearby. He leaned forward, rubbing his face with both hands, pressing the palms together under his nose. Two words repeating in his mind as he sat quietly, those words that filled him with more anxiety than ever.

Stark walked over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. He regarded the people around him, Banner looked down in shame.

"She made me promise not to tell you, she wanted to tell you herself when she thought it was right." Banner said and opened a screen on a tablet, handing it to him. "She is eight weeks along, judging from the fetal development. Her body protected it from the trauma of the shooting and everything else she had gone through. He powers are amazing, the fetus is perfectly healthy."

Loki looked at the scans in front of him, the side view of his child. His fingertips shook as he traced the small hand, so tiny yet so perfect. Another scan showed that tiny hand near where it's mouth was, like it was soothing itself and sucking at the tiny appendage. He felt something break inside himself, and he wanted to wrap the woman carrying that child up and protect her from everything. Stark looked over his shoulder, he pointed at the profile and grinned.

"It already has your nose, and her attitude." Stark said and Loki glared up at the man. He found him smiling down at the scans, a bit of sadness on the man's face as he studied the screen.

"We are going to get her back Loki, I promise." Rogers said and Wanda closed her eyes. He looked back down at the images and Banner walked forward, opening another file and pressing the icon, the sound was rhythmic, one louder than an underlying faster beat but both were steady.

"Their hearts, the faster, softer one is the baby. She cried when she heard it, she was really excited to find out she was pregnant." Banner said, smiling at him. Loki leaned back into the chair and studied the faces around him, listening to the repeating sounds coming from the device in his hands. Wanda nodded and smiled at him, his hands were still shaking though.

"May I keep this?" He asked Banner and the man modded. He stood up and faced Stark, collecting himself and tucking the tablet under his arm.

"We need to get her, and I am taking her back to Asgard immediately after." Loki said, his voice calm and firm as he spoke. He wanted no argument, he only wanted the both of them safe.

"She had a plan. The phone may have gone dead or got disconnected somehow. She said she was going to try and steal a car, and that she would call when she put some distance between her and them." Rogers said.

"Keep that phone near you every second, and charged. You nod off, give it to someone else. If she calls again, someone had better damn well answer it." Stark said and wrote the numbers from it on the back of his hand.

"Listen up, whoever has that phone is in charge of keeping it active, hang up on telemarketers. The second she calls again, someone is to get Loki. He is to hear her voice to verify that she is O.K. Get her to describe everything around her, even the stupidest details will tell us volumes." Stark continued, and all persons in the room nodded their agreement. He waited and grinned, looking around him.

"Lets move like we have a purpose then, we need to find two very important people out there." Stark finished and walked over to Loki. "We are going to find her, I promise you that. Everyone here is going to do everything they can to find her, is there anything you can do to give us an edge?"

"I will think on it, but you have a better chance than I using your technology." Loki said, his mind focusing on everything he had just seen. The images of the child she carried, and her fear still fresh. Stark nodded at him, pressing his lips together and thinking himself.

"All right, we will figure out other routes." Stark said and crossed his arms in thought. Twitch burst through the door, catching his breath and shaking. He jerked as he walked toward Loki, opening a shaking hand.

"You will not believe what I just found in the old lab Chaos Bro." He said and held up several sheets of paper, in the other hand was a gold and amethyst ring.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25.

I was sitting at the vanity in a pale blue Grecian styled gown, hating myself for putting on their clothes but it was better than the alternative. I did not like how exposed the nightgown left me feeling, and even though the the straps of the gown left my shoulders nearly bare, I felt more covered in the dress. I was doing everything I could not to cry since talking to Loki, he knew about the pregnancy and promised to find me. What scared me now was the retribution I was about to face from Stephen, my hand went up to my neck as I thought about how he tightened the necklace on me. There was fear, and then there was absolute terror.

What would he do to me now because of my escape attempt? I looked in the mirror at myself and shook, afraid not for myself but for so much more. I put the necklace on, hoping that pleasing him would make him decide not to do anything awful to me. My fingers shaking as I picked up the hair brush and tried to smooth my hair. The door clicked open and Stephen walked in, followed by the man from last night. My heart started pounding in my chest and he stood over me, his hand out for the brush and I gave it to him. He walked around behind me, tapping the brush in the palm of his hand. All I could do was think about how heavy the silver brush was, he moved behind me and I tried not to shake.

"I cannot say that I am disappointed by your wanderings last night my dear." He said and stood behind me, gathering my hair back carefully and beginning to brush it with long, slow strokes. His fingers working between the strands, I was disgusted by the contact and did my bet to not let it show.

"I will have to reward Marcel later for finding you however, I was quite overjoyed to hear you had not gone too far." He continued, Marcel opening the door again and taking a tray of food from a man on the other side. He placed it on the table for me neatly, nodding his head toward me in greeting. Stephen put the brush back on the vanity and picked up the earrings, putting them on me and brushing my chin with his fingertips. The traced my collarbone with his hand and smiled at my reflection, his eyes memorizing every detail.

"Do it again, and I will amputate both of your legs at the knees. That is the only warning you will ever get, am I understood?" He said and I nodded, folding my hands in my lap and shaking.

"Yes." I said and his hand cupped my elbow, standing me up so that he could look at me.

"You are perfection, and it would pain me greatly to destroy something as lovely as you." He said and guided me over to the table. Marcel lifted the cover on the food and I looked down at the fresh fruit and toast, there was fragrant tea as well but I had no appetite.

"Nothing to say my dear?" He said and looked at me, I shook my head and shivered again. He sat back in his seat across from me and motioned Marcel over, he walked over and bent over at the waist as Stephen whispered something to him. Nodding his understanding, he left the room to fetch something. I wiggled my toes in the powder blue stiletto heels I wore, hating the shoes with a passion.

"Eat, I know you have to be hungry. We will also be counting the flatware when the tray is taken away, we cannot leave you with the temptation to run and make phone calls again." Stephen said and I picked up the fork, I wanted to stab him in the eye with it to get him to stop staring at me. Instead I ate a bite of the mixed fruit, being rewarded with a smile. I picked up the toast and ate a slice, sitting back and chewing it quietly. He watched me closely, studying the way I ate everything. Treating me like a creature kept in a zoo, locked up and for his entertainment.

"They are going to come for me, I think you know that though. They are not going to spare a single resource in hunting you down either." I said and ate a few more bites of food. He frowned at me and studied me briefly, making sure I had swallowed before he stood up and walked around the table toward me. I popped out of the seat and backed away from him, finding myself in the corner and shaking. He stood over me, taller and menacing, despite the stiletto heels I wore.

"So afraid, and cowering back. My dear come here, I only gave you a warning earlier." He said and held his hand out to me. I took it and he guided me back to the chair, crouching down next to me and turning my face toward him.

"I know they will come, and we are ready for them. After you eat, I will escort you to the conference room, and you will meet your most devoted followers. I am so pleased to say that they are quite excited to meet you." He said and his hand slipped behind my neck. I pulled back and he chuckled to himself, letting me go and returning to his seat.

"Famine, War, and Conquest?" I asked, forcing my heart to stop pounding in my chest.

"Sadly, War was a great disappointment to our cause, we will have to replace him. However, Famine and Conquest are waiting to meet you." Stephen said, gesturing toward the plate in front of me.

"I am full." I replied and he frowned at me, I sat back in the chair and he studied me more for a long moment.

"Nonsense my dear, you need the nutrients as well. Now please, eat a little bit more. I can't have you famished before lunch now, it would be unbecoming." He said, his hand closing into a fist. I picked up the fork and ate more, playing it smart for once in my life. He relaxed and his hand opened, crossing his legs and I bit into another slice of toast.

"Is it to your liking?" He asked me and I nodded. Biting into a kiwi slice and smiling.

"Yes." I said in return, picking up another piece of the green fruit and eating it quickly. Marcel returned with another tray, on it was everything to administer the serum. I set the fork down and rested my hands in my lap, Stephen picked up the syringe and cleaned my shoulder with the alcohol pad.

"It makes me happy to see you cooperating, I may have to give you another gift soon." He said and inserted the needle in my arm, leaning close as he pressed in the plunger. His breath was hot on my neck as he pushed my hair back over my shoulder, I felt a tear trace down my cheek. I was disappointed in my self for not fighting back, and I should have, I should have lashed out to protect myself. I should be doing more, but I was scared and alone in this.

"I know every last thing about you my dear, and I also know you are protecting something. Behave yourself, and I will let you keep the bastard growing inside you." He said and picked up a sheet of results from blood they took from me while I was out from the tray. He knew, and he set the pages down on the table, turning my face toward him and kissing me. Inside my head, I screamed and made deals with whichever deity was listening to end the contact. He pulled away and looked into my eyes, his hand sliding down my cheek and laughing in my face. I shook and did my best to not cry, the violation was too much for me.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that my dear. You have made me very happy." He said and smiled at me, his hand ghosting over my shoulder. He stood back up and extended his hand, guiding me to the door and putting a hand on my back.

"Let us meet your devoted servants now, we all have a gift to give you."

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Fury paced and looked troubled, Loki turned the small ring over in his fingers. The friend of Lilliana had found a written confession from the men who took her, they knew where she was and they were ready to strike at any moment. A map and satellite image of the island was displayed in front of them. The man stopped pacing, studying the faces in front of him and let out a measured breath.

"How sure are we that this letter you found is not a wild goose chase? Because I am not entirely sure that we should launch an attack on American soil based on a found confession alone, especially one from Agents tied to The Horsemen. Plum Island is not exactly remote by any means, there are homes, families on the banks of that bay across from it. If we do not plan this carefully, then we risk civilian causalities. Convince me that this is not a fools run." Fury said, his eye darting from one face to another. Loki dropped the ring around his neck and it made a small sound as it tapped against his armor. He could not believe what he was hearing, and refused to even think that they were going to abandon her when they were so close to getting her back.

"The prefix and area code from the number she called from is Long Island based. Marilyn Manson found records using her program, that show Ghemma Pharmaceuticals purchasing the island from the government over a year ago after operations and disease research stopped and they moved to the Midwest. Exactly how much more proof do you need?" Stark said and Loki felt some respect for the man. Rogers let out a long breath, crossing his arms and checking his cell phone yet again for any activity.

"I still do not like it. You had one phone call from her last night, you said she was going to make contact again. There has been nothing since then, how do we know they have not moved her from that island?" Fury said and shook his head again, rubbing his good eye as he spoke.

"On top of that, they have another threat in the form of some genetic mutations they baked up. We have no idea when they are going to use them either, I want Ms. Hawthorne back as well. But, I am mot willing to risk lives, civilian or our own on what we have now. A hunch, and a very big one at that." Fury said and everyone gathered looked as if they could not believe what they had just heard. Loki stood up, walking toward the man and staring him down. Fury returned the glare and they circled for a moment.

"We have given you proof enough, we are sure this is where The Horsemen are holding Lilliana. Why do you refuse when you made her a promise of safety, that promise you could not keep. They attacked her, injured her, and snatched her away under your nose! Your word was nothing when she needed that security most! Any yet, she stayed and aided you in this madness." Loki said to the man, his rage at a boiling point. The sound of her fear laced voice still in his head and the shaking quality it had as she choked back tears, fueling the fire that roared in him. Feeding the flames, and making it burn hotter.

"She stayed of her own accord, she was fully aware of the risks." Fury said, stepping forward and continuing to stare into Loki.

"She stayed because you asked her to, she had more than any of us to loose and she stayed because you asked for her help." Rogers said, walking up behind Loki and standing next to him. He regarded the man next to him in his faded leather jacket, smiling at him thinly.

"I am aware that emotions are running high, given the revelation of Ms. Hawthorne's condition. But we must approach this in a calm manner, flying into this without thinking it through could get someone killed. So sit down, and think this all through in a rational way." Fury barked, Loki and Rogers stood their ground. Wanda walked up and stood with them, her arms crossed as she pinched her lips together.

"I know what it is to be a prisoner, I say we try this island. If you refuse, I will go alone. It is a risk I take on my own, and I want to help my friend." Wanda said, her stance set and Loki found himself respecting the woman.

"Ms. Hawthorne was fully aware of the risks, she was never in the dark about what she stood to loose." Fury said and Barton walked over and stood with them, letting out a resounding sigh.

"I like Short Round, and my wife with kill me if I go home and tell her that I did not try to help her. It is a woman thing I guess." Barton said and Fury let out a measured breath. He was loosing control of this team, and factions were being made according to their consciences. Loki squared his shoulders and Stark raised his hand, Rogers looked at him and groaned.

"Yes Tony, you can give us all the toys." Rogers said, Stark rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I was just going to ask if I could be the baby's Godfather. But if I get to provide the cool toys, then count me in." Stark said, propping his feet on the table and smiling smugly at Fury.

"Someone has to fly you idiots, I guess it is me." Natasha added, sitting back in her seat and Loki smirked at Fury. He had won, and they were going to get her.

"You will form a plan, one that limits civilian causalities and property damage. Do not make me regret this decision, anything on that island, organic or not is fair game." Fury said and Stark smiled, raising his hand, and grinning at Loki.

"I have something special for you, and I know you are going to love them." Stark said and pushed from the table, monitoring for Loki to follow him. Loki let out a breath, following the man who irritated him constantly.

"Now I know you, and you are a man with simple tastes. Guns never were your thing, but knives always were. Thor told me that by the way." Stark said as they walked, pausing briefly to let the man think. Loki did everything he could to not throttle the man, they were wasting precious time and they needed to get Lilliana back before The Horsemen harmed or moved her.

"Please come to the point of your ramblings Stark, I do not believe that we have much time before they make a move against us or her." Loki said, crossing his arms in irritation. He glared at the man in front of him and they continued walking.

"Keep that attitude, and no presents. Anyhow, I got a hold of a manufacturer in Austria, they supply knives for their Special Forces. Some of the best knives in the world have been designed by this company, and this is one of the results." Stark replied, opening the lab door. Loki walked in and looked at the hard shelled case on the table. Stark patted him on the arm and grinned, he walked to the case and clicked open the latches on it. Lifting the lid to reveal two one foot long knives, he lifted one out and liked the weight of it. The long, twisted blade of the knife had tree edges that came to a point, converging in a corkscrew. Loki was impressed by how balanced they were, and the craftsmanship was remarkable for the weapon in his hand.

"Beautiful Stark." Loki said and picked up the second one, liking the feel of the round hilt in his hands. He flipped one and caught it, bringing it around to the stance of a knife fighter.

"Titanium alloy, not cheap, but sharp as hell. These both set me back a coll ten thousand, but hey, only the best for the guy who wanted to be King. This is the deadliest knife known to mankind, the blade is designed to corkscrew in. Leaving a hole that requires a team of skilled surgeons to fix, and can cause the victim to bleed out in seconds. I give you the Jagdkommando. Think of them as a wedding gift from me, and please don't go stabbing Thor with them." Stark said and handed him the sheaths for the weapons. He admired the knives again, putting them back in the sheath and nodding. Something creeping into him as he rested his hand on the case, his other hand finding the ring around his neck. He felt a tic at the corner of his mouth, Stark reached out and grabbed his arm.

"We will get her back Loki, right now she is there. Probably tapping her foot and calling you all kinds of rude names, that sassy way she crosses her arms when she is annoyed with you." Stark said, smiling to himself. He removed a flask from his pocket and passed it to him, both men sharing a drink for their lost friend. Loki took a long drink, savoring the warm tasting liquid and smiling back at the man in front of him.

"Not her better qualities, but that is most likely the case at the moment." Loki replied, laughing to himself.

"I am really sure that is true. But, you have to hand it to her, literally. A woman that short can't reach anything. How does Thor not step on her?" Stark replied, taking another drink and laughing at his own joke. Loki chuckled and found himself fracturing a bit inside, he could see her becoming angry with Stark. Her height was always a sore spot for her, a random memory of her trying to reach a book in the library above her head. He had to hand it down to her and saw her annoyance in herself, warning him against making a comment about her stature with a look as she stomped away with her arms filled.

"I am going to kill Johanasson for this, there is no safe harbor for him. I have a special Hel planned for him Stark, I will say that." Loki hissed, taking the drink from him and swallowing more of it.

"Take a number, because I want a piece of him too." Stark replied, picking up the case and handing it to him. Loki's hands closed over it and his fingers gripped the plastic, making it pop in protest under the pressure. He smiled at Stark, a look of pure venom on his face and licked his lips.

"Let's go get your Princess." Stark said and threw the now empty flask on the table.

"She is my Queen. Hel will hold no surprises for The Horsemen." Loki replied, his rage becoming an inferno.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26.

They had me sitting in an ornate, high backed chair. My hands folded in my lap and my fingers fidgeting nervously, the four men in the room staring at me. I wanted to run from the room, make a break for it, anything. I looked at the window, and knew there was no escape. I was on an island, and swimming for the shore was not an option at all for me. I would exhaust myself in the process, and eventually drown.

"Gentlemen, our Goddess has arrived, and she is perfection." Stephen said and turned his back to me. Marcel stepped forward with a padded footstool, placing it in front of me. I put the toes of my shoes on it and he backed away, Stephen smiling at my pleasure. The African man in his colorful robes opened a case, offering me another necklace of diamonds and bowing, my stomach flipped at the frightening scene in front of me. They all smiled at me and I shivered. The black haired Russian man bowed to me and Stephen walked over to another box, resting his hand on it.

"Many years ago in Germany, I was a young doctor working in a small practice. Rather happy in my work, but there was always something missing. Some great purpose to my life that needed to be sated, and this void was filled in the form of a group that offered all the answers. One day a man came to my practice, the man had been exposed to something and was suffering. He begged me to end his life, the pain was that terrible for him. Whatever he was exposed to, changed him." He said and smiled at me.

"I was a gifted doctor, and I was able to alleviate his suffering. But the effects were permanent, I could not reverse them. Johann Schimidt saw much more in me though, he introduced me into the ranks of the Nazi Party. There, I was given renewed purpose in Hydra, and unlimited test subjects for my experiments. They called me the Doctor of Death, but my real name became hated throughout history. I am sure you know my true name my dear, the Schutzstaffel celebrated my genius and experiments on the pitiful creatures in Auschwitz. Hitler himself called me his devoted subject, I was a very proud man then." He said and I shook my head in denial, there was no way. He would be much older, and then I remembered what Steve told me about the Tesseract. What it was capable of, and now it was locked in a vault back on Asgard.

"Josef Mengele died in Brazil on February seventh of seventy-nine. That is impossible, you don't even look like him." I said, Stephen walked toward me and grabbed my hand.

"My dear, anything is possible with enough money and power." He said and traced the tips of my fingers over his hairline, his eyes on mine as my shaking fingers felt the scars. I wanted to vomit, and my revulsion rose at the feeling under my fingers.

"How?" I choked out, suddenly terrified to be so close to him. The horrifying experiments he performed on people in the Concentration Camps playing out in my head, and my free hand clenched. I was looking into the eyes of a real monster, not something in a story. A flesh and blood maniac who killed and cut people to shreds in the name of science, all because he could.

"Hydra allowed me access to the source of their power. Gave me unlimited access to it in fact, and I developed my own serum based on it. Using myself as a test subject, I extended my own life but was unable to make myself truly immortal. Hydra always thought too small, the never saw the bigger picture in controlling the world, so I defected. Formed my own empire, and we kept out of the media." He said, letting go of my hand and walking away. Stephen folded his hands behind his back as he walked, looking out a picture window at the bay. He laughed to himself, something crossing his mind.

"Why me?" I asked him, the other Two Horsemen regarded me as Stephen walked back to the box. He picked it up and walked back toward me, I cringed back in the chair, doing everything I could not to be afraid.

"For years, we have operated in secret, creating chaos and disorder. No one knew who we were, the blame for everything we did falling on others, and all we had to do was profit from it. We have decided, with some credit to you, to tear down the old world and create a new one. Our empire built upon the ashes of the old one, but we need to show the world, in a powerful statement that nothing truly lasts." He said and opened the box, a golden crown sitting on a velvet pillow in it. The Celtic design knotted in diamonds and pearls, and the open places in between were stunning.

Marcel took the box from him, and Stephen lifted the shining thing. I did not want to wear it though, I wanted nothing of it and I fought letting it show. He turned it around in his hands and carefully arranged my hair around it as he pinned it in place. I screamed in my mind, feeling a fracture form in it. A strange memory of another time, something familiar yet not mine as a tear traced down my cheek.

"You will become our public face, our perfect Queen on her throne. You will be the Judas that will betray the world, and stand over the bodies of your former allies in pride." He said and his hand ghosted over my cheek, I jerked away from the touch and laughed suddenly. Putting both of my hands on the armrests of the chair, I clapped my hands together as felt something flash again in my mind. I glared at Stephen and grinned, he stepped back and I remembered my German from school.

"It will never happen monster." I said in his language and he frowned down at me. "They are going to come, and you are all going to pay in blood."

"You only hope they will my dear. They do not know where you are, and thanks to your little act of defiance there. Marcel is going to kill Loki while you watch." Stephen said and I rolled my eyes at him.

"You should really work on your threats, you know. You should have also chosen someone else to be your figurehead, I am totally gutter trash. I am so not cut out for royalty. And point in fact, I would be completely surprised if they did not have a plan to get me back. You forgot one damn thing in your plan, that tiny detail that even Nero and Cesar never realized." I said and stood up, walking around the room and laughing as I saw a jet in the distance. The men looked at me and I stared out the window, seeing smoke in the distance and grinning.

"And what would that be my dear?" Stephen said and I winked at him.

"Empires fall." I said in German, Marcel moved faster than me before I could grab the knife off the food cart. In my head I saw fire, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. Stephen stalked forward and pulled me back over to the chair, making me sit in it. Marcel held my wrists above my head and I smiled at him, for the first time in his life I think he felt afraid.

"You can't force me to do anything! I am not your toy!" I screamed and Stephen slapped me across the face. My wrists hurt from how tight Marcel was holding me, but I still struggled.

"You should be more careful with what you say, you have two lives to worry about. Defy me or us again and we will rip that thing out of you and experiment on it while you watch." Stephen hissed at me, his hand gripping my chin. I laughed up at him, another flash in my head of a jet and people milling about. I shook and laughed, Wanda was in my head and they were coming.

"What are you doing?" Stephen said, the other two men in the room looking nervous suddenly. His hand closed into a fist and he struck me across the face, I stopped laughing and looked up at him.

"You are going to regret that." I said and the building shook. My bruised cheek healed and I glared at him, knowing that they were here for me.

"Take her back to her cell, make sure no one finds her." Stephen barked at Marcel, the Greek pulled me to my feet, still holding one wrist behind my back. He pushed me forward roughly, leading me out the doors and down the hall. I let Wanda see where they were taking me, showing her every detail as Marcel opened the door and shoved me into my room. I stumbled forward and caught myself before I fell, running back toward the door and trying to pull it back open. I screamed against it and slapped my hands against it, the sudden scent of Lavender and Jasmine perfume calming me. I turned around in the room and put my back to the door, calming down.

"Please find me." I said to the empty room and sat down on the bed. Closing my eyes and shivering, I begged Wnada not to leave but she broke from my mind.

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Loki watched Wanda Closely from his position in the jet, her eyes closed and her hands in front of her. He face rocked to the side and she pinched here eyes closed, yelping and feeling everything that Lilliana was. They were beating her, and for that they would pay with their lives. She jerked to the side again suddenly and opened her eyes, looking up at everyone gathered.

"She is alive still, and I saw where they are keeping her. Avoid the Eastern end of the complex, she is in a locked room at that end. They are threatening her, and said they will kill the child in her." She said and Stark nodded at her. His armored suit at the ready and he slammed his hand into a button, the loading ramp opened and he dove out of it.

"Have fun storming the castle boys. The Princess is waiting for us, let's not disappoint her." Stark said and blasted across the sky. Loki closed his eyes and opened them in the room, looking at her.

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"Somebody please find me." I begged the empty room and scratched at the back of my hand. I started pacing, walking over the the window, and looking down onto the grounds three floors below. The crown on my head shifted and I reached up the take it off, my hands shaking.

"Leave it on, it suits you." a voice behind me said, I jerked around to see Loki standing behind me. I put my hands up to my mouth, nearly crying at seeing him.

"Loki." I gasped and he smiled at me, he flickered a bit and I walked toward his illusion.

"Not really me, but I shall be there soon. I thought this would offer you some comfort however, it has given me some." He said and I smiled at him, felling sad and small at the same time.

"I and so sorry I did not tell you earlier. I..." I started and he shook his head, putting up a finger to stop me. His smile sad as he flickered again, I was scared he was going to be angry with me but he looked up and let out a long breath.

"I told you I could not be angry with you." He said and I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me.

"Odin is going to blow his top." I said and he laughed, his face relaxed.

"I do not care that any of them will be angry, I only care that you are safe. I saw it, our child, it was beautiful beyond words. I never knew true fear until I saw my future stolen away from me." Loki said and I nodded, looking down at my hands. I knew Bruce saved the sonograms he took, I had hoped to show them to him myself. That over now though, and he knew my secret.

"It should have been me showing you those, I am so sorry it was not me." I said and he shook his head again, laughing as he stood across the room from me.

"Stop being sorry, you have no idea how pleased I am to hear this news." Loki said and I felt a tear trace down my cheek.

"I'm freaking out to be honest. Do you know how hard it is to keep Sif and Fandral from killing you as it is? You and I may want to find a safe house here on Earth for the next thousand years." I said and he laughed again.

"I have a plan to aid you in preventing my execution. However, our conversation was rudely interrupted before I could tell you how much I loved you." Loki said and I walked over to him, putting my arms out and having them pass through his body. The building shook again and I could hear howls from somewhere in the building.

"I forgot." I said and wiped the tear off my cheek. He looked at me sadly, still smiling all the same.

"At least your cell is more comfortable that mine was, I had four white walls and no privacy." He said and I laughed behind my hand.

"In all fairness, I'm just a hostage. I didn't try to overthrow the Earth." I quipped, making him roll his eyes in response.

"Always the clever one Little Mouse. Stay calm, and I shall be there soon. You have my word." He said and I tried to stay strong for him, I was so scared that I would never see him again. I wanted to stall him, keep him there, but it was all illusion and not really him.

"I know you will, be careful." I said and he vanished, somewhere in the building the howls began again. I knew what they were from and the thought of those things made me shudder. The building shook again and the power went out, the security pad next to the door blinked and stayed green. The door swung open and I looked at it in shock. Taking advantage of the situation, I slipped through the door and into the hall.

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He needed all of his concentration, he threw a knife toward an advancing man. It hit him in the chest and he fell before he could shoot Barton, the man nodded his appreciation and continued his attack. Over him, he saw the jet circle, firing into the building and backing away.

"I have a heat signature on the third floor, it is moving toward the South. One person, I think she found a way out of her room." Stark said in his ear, howls echoed through the building and across the knee high grass toward them. Another armed man rushed at him, he swung the man around in a smooth movement, and gripped his shoulders and face. Putting his back to his chest and snapping his head to the side, the lifeless body slumped to the ground at his feet.

"Tell her to go back to her cell, she is safest there." Loki shouted to Wanda, and she nodded.

"Watch for me, I am vulnerable when I do this." She said and closed her eyes, they snapped open a moment later. Her hand grabbing his arm, she shook her head.

"I could not connect to her, all I felt was hunger and anger." She said, her gaze returning to the building. "It was so primal, instinctual, pure."

"Looks like they have those things here." Barton said and looked worried. Another howl echoed toward them, making even Loki shudder in response to the sound. He stared at the building, repressing another shudder as another howl, hungry and primitive tore across the distance toward them.

"Try again, if they release the beasts she will be in danger from them." Loki said to Wanda and she closed her eyes, concentrating with everything she had in her. A man approached them and lowered his weapon, Loki drew one of the Jagkommandos and drove the blade into his chest. The man collapsed to the ground dead, he smiled down at the blade in satisfaction. He flicked the blood off the blade with a swift motion of his wrist, he glanced back at Wanda and she frowned at him.

"There is too much between her and I, the instincts of the creatures drowns her out. There is too much in everyone here, too many minds." She said and Loki nodded, understanding and grateful for the attempt.

"Guys. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we have some new people coming to the party. There is a roll up door opening on my side, and the new guests look hungry." Stark said over the device in his ear. Loki felt his anxiety rise, fearing the release of these creatures with Lilliana possibly wandering the grounds around the building. If she encountered one, she was powerless against the beast. He internally cursed her stubbornness, hoping that her nature did not lead her into harm.

"You counted fifteen cages in Scotland right?" Rogers said, preparing himself to face the monsters.

"I believe that is what Barton and I saw there Rogers." He replied, the jet passing over them toward Stark. Howls erupted from the opening and the first of them ran free, shrieking toward them and hissing in anger. The jet opened fire on them, tearing one down as it leapt through the air. The beast fell to the ground in a heap, it's ice blue eyes staring into the sky.

Loki looked at the creature in horror, mentally feeling revulsion at the visage when a chirping sound caught his attention. He turned to see one of the monster crash down on top of him, both of them falling into the dirt and knocking the knives from his hands. The creature gripped his head in it's hands, attempting to rip his head off his shoulders, he tried to reach out for one knife but it was just out of reach. He grabbed the monster's wrists, and shouted, his leg muscles straining to hold the creature off of him. Loki managed to free his head, but one taloned hand gripped down on his shoulder and the claws tightened on him. He lay on his back with no options, the beast overpowering him and he pushed back again with his feet.

The creature howled, arching its head back toward the sun. The sound suddenly cut off by an arrow slamming through its throat, he pushed the vile smelling creature to the side and off of him. The dying beast, arching her back as the air refused to fill lungs that should not exist. Loki lay on his back catching his own breath, snatching up a knife and driving it into the monsters breast. He looked down into its eyes and the horror dawned on him fully, one ice blue eye and one violet eye looked back at him as the creature died. Barton walked up and offered him a hand, helping him to his feet. He pushed the thought of these monsters possessing genetic code that linked them to Lilliana out of his mind, and turned to stab another one in the chest. Crouching down to grab the other knife and drive that one into the beast. They were nothing close to her, but they were her.

He turned on his foot and threw another knife overhand and Barton shot another through the throat, all of them fighting the genetic representation of the feared vampires.

"I believe I owe you a debt Barton." Loki said, flicking the foul smelling blood of the knives. Another one rushed at them, only to be brought down by a Repulsor blast.

"Consider it an apology for the Norse Mythology thing." Barton said, tracking another one through the brush. He let the arrow go, bringing it down.

"I accept it fully." Loki said and stabbed another one in the chest, twisting the spiral bladed knife to ensure the beast stayed dead.

"You told him about that?" Stark said into his ear, making Loki roll his eyes. "I wanted to be the one to pick on him about that. On your six Reindeer Games."

Loki dropped to his knee and Barton released another arrow over him, the creature shrieked as it took the hit. Still coming and Rogers opened fire with his rifle, finishing her off painfully. She thrashed in the grass on her back, Loki walked over and pulled her head back and drove a knife into her heart.

"It seems that we are correct in them all being female." He said and turned at the sound of a chirp, seeing one bear down on Wanda. The woman used her gifts to freeze it mid leap, and he flipped the Jagdkommando in this hand. Throwing it overhand, missing the woman by inches and embedding itself into the creatures throat. She looked back at him, wild eyed and nodded at him, a motion of her wrist twisting the knife into the beast and killing it. The walked over to it and pulled his knife free, handing it back to him.

"Thank you." She said, kicking the dead monster at her feet. He took the knife and sheathed it, grinning and licking his lips as he ran through the brush with her. Jumping up and bringing the one in his hands down on one that was stalking Rogers, driving the blade into the top of it's skull.

"Nice to see you using my gifts, it makes a guy feel special." Stark said into his ear. He freed the knife and bushed the body aside, looking around for another target. Rogers waked toward him and let out a long breath, leaning against a tree.

"Can you feel her Wanda?" Rogers asked and she nodded, her face shocked suddenly. She grabbed Loki's arm and shook her head, her eyes wide.

"They know she escaped, they are looking for her. She is walking toward them without realizing it." She said, urgency straining her voice. Stark landed nearby, and walked toward them.

"Maybe it is time to storm the castle, and really show them who they messed with." Stark said, using a pulse to blast the doors inward. Loki smiled, resting his hands on the hilts of the knives and ready to draw them.

"Well, this should be such fun. Death is mine." Loki said, several armed men blocking the door. She was in there, waiting.

He walked forward, not hearing the bullets or the clap of gunfire, just the echoes of screams.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27.

I moved slowly through the dim hallway, my hand trailing along the wall for balance as I chose my steps carefully. The stiletto heels did not help much, and I found myself actually wondering how strippers actually danced in shoes like this. I could could run in heels if I had to, but in these I would definitely break my neck.

I heard another howl and gunshots, they must have been going through hell out there. The lights flickered and I stepped over a pile of documents, bracing myself against the wall as the building shook again with an explosion. I said a silent prayer to whichever fate was listening to keep them and me safe, and peeked around the corner. The hall was clear, I ducked around it and stayed close to the wall while moving forward. I wanted to turn the next corner and find Loki standing there, waiting to take me far away from this nightmare and keep me safe. Reality told me he was still outside though, facing whatever was between him and me. I hoped he was winning, the thought of loosing him was too much.

Another howl ripped through the building, followed by running and shouts from behind me. I opened a door and ducked into the room behind it, hiding and waiting for them to pass. They rushed on down the hall, not noticing my hiding place. To play it safe, I waited a few moments more. Listening at the door for any sound before opening it again, I heard nothing more and I slipped back onto the hallway.

At the end of the hall, I came to a T-junction. The sounds outside stopped, and I smiled to myself, knowing that they were all coming. I peeked around the corner and saw nothing on both sides, my mind racing as I struggled to pick a direction. I started right, but gunfire from that direction drove me back the other way. Generally, it always is a good idea to avoid a shootout when you are unarmed.

I continued moving, playing caution as my strongest ally and jumped in shock at another explosion somewhere in the building. I made another left around a corner, checking random doors as I moved. I was feeling lost and began deliberating if I should just go back to my cell, but gunshots rattled off closer to me. I hurried on, not caring how much noise my shoes made on the tile and turned right at another t-junction. I put more hustle in my step as screams echoed over the gunshots, instinct driving me to find safety and shelter until it was over.

I stopped briefly, leaning back against the wall to still my breath. I was waiting for fear to stop making my heart pound, realizing how ridiculous I must have looked. A dress that cost more than most New York apartments, stiletto heels, and thousands of dollars of jewelry on me. I was dressed for the prom, not to be a hostage or a combat situation.

I walked around the corner, laughing to myself about the situation and came face to face with Stephen, his anger evident at seeing me out of my cell and wandering. I panicked, looking for a lie to tell him and found nothing. His hand closed around my wrist and I yelped in pain, he was crushing the joint with his grip. I twisted my arm to get free, but he held it fast.

"Stephen, I was looking for you. I was so scared by everything and I knew you would keep me safe." I said, hoping he would buy my ruse. Otherwise, I was probably up a certain creek without a paddle.

"You lying little bitch!" Stephen snapped at me, striking me with the back of his hand. My head jerked to the side, causing me to yelp in surprise. His chest heaved, and I had to come up with anything I could to save my skin. I did the only thing a woman in my position could do, I stepped forward and kissed him fully, playing up the scared. He returned the kiss, and I screamed internally out of hatred for myself at what I was doing.

"Please believe me, I heard horrible howls. The lights went out, and my door opened. I am powerless and I had to find someone, I was just so scared." I said and bit my lip, looking down at his clenched fist. I put my hand around it and felt it relax, it drifted up to my burning cheek and cradled my face. His thumb touching my lower lip, and tracing it. Inside, I wanted to bite down on his hand and make him bleed.

"My poor dear." He said, looking into my eyes. "You are the worst liar I have ever seen. You will learn not to cross me soon enough, after I take your legs and that thing inside you."

He pushed me toward Marcel as the killer walked toward us, his suit still neat and his demeanor completely calm. He wrapped his hand around my arm and forced me to move, I screamed and struggled against the man. Being forced down a hall and toward a bank of elevators, both men shoving me onto it and holding me back. I screamed, straining and shaking against the far wall and struggling to get free from the steel lined coffin.

"Let me go!" I shouted at Marcel. He laughed at me, shoving me toward Stephen who pinned me against the wall and ran his hand over my waist. I shook and put my hands against his chest to shove him back but he was unmovable, he wrapped on hand around my throat and pinned my head back. His eyes filled with lust and I shivered involuntarily, afraid of what was going to happen next. He kissed me hard, his hand pinning my wrist against the wall as my other one fought to get him off of me. I turned my head and he kissed down my neck, me screaming in the closed space when the doors opened and I saw Loki standing outside them. His face filled with rage, and I screamed again and fought harder. Stephen shoved me around in front of him and I could feel his withering hard on in my back, feeling some joy that the asshole was turned off by fear. In a fluid movement, he twisted my arm up around my back and made me yelp in pain. Marcel flipped open a knife from his pocket and held it on me, Loki glared at both men and I yelped again to play up the pain.

"You both just royally fucked up assholes." I said, Marcel continuing to hold the knife on me and pressing it against the skin of my neck.

"Back away, we may let her live." Stephen said and the doors began to close, Loki put his hand out and stopped them. His demeanor completely calm as he took a step forward and glared at the Greek man holding the knife to my throat. Stephen wrapped an arm around my waist and let his fingers slide over my hip, provoking a response from Loki. Apparently, he did not get the memo that what he was doing was a very bad idea.

"Did he harm you?" Loki asked me and I shook, too afraid to move.

"Slapped me around a bit, Stephen threatened me some. You saw the rest, please do what they are saying, I really don't want to die right now." I replied, he nodded seeing what I was telling him and he stepped forward. Marcel pressed the blade against my neck and I gasped, I was not really enjoying being a part of this standoff. Marcel pulled me toward him by my free arm, and put the knife tip over my heart. I was glad to be away from Stephen, but I was in bigger danger from the man behind me.

"Step back you idiot, or he will kill her." Stephen demanded. I shivered and Loki backed out of the elevator and to the side. Marcel edged out and into the lobby, tightening his grip on my waist, a sudden jerk from the man holding me made me yelp in shock.

"Stephen, the game is over. He will kill you either way now, just let me go." I said and he shook his head, glaring at Loki. The two men stood off and he pulled me away from Marcel, I pushed away from him doing my best to get away. I tried to use a pulse, but I barely moved his tie, his fingers knotted into my hair and he laughed. He pulled my back to his chest, his hand releasing my hair and wrapping around my throat.

"I can see why you like her so much Loki, I did promise her one thing. She gets to watch Marcel kill you." Stephen said, the Greek removed his coat and flipped another knife open from his back pocket. I cried out as Stephen pulled me backwards, his arm lowering to my shoulders as he kissed the back of my neck.

"No." I choked out and he laughed into my ear.

"Don't worry my dear, he will suffer greatly. Marcel has quite the gift there, and he views it as an art of sorts." Stephen said, Loki glaring at him for even thinking of touching me.

"I did plan on making you pay for striking her, now I will just kill you for thinking that you could have her intimately." Loki said, circling with the other man and keeping his eyes locked on Marcel. Loki pulled two knives I had never seen before, their spiraled blades gleaming as he flipped them in his hands. He relaxed his grip slightly, and waited they stood off for a second and Marcel moved first. He feinted right, Loki spinning on the ball of his foot to dodge the attack from his left. The two men moving around one another in a twisted dance, neither one of them was willing to loose. Marcel moved to stab into Loki's leg, but Loki was faster. He used a bracer to block the attack and one of his knives to stab down into the Greek's shoulder. Marcel saw it coming and shifted to a crouch, ducking under the stab and standing behind Loki. He stood up and looked at the cut in his shirt, my hands flying to my mouth to suppress a scream as Marcel lunged forward. Loki stepped to the side and drug the knife up the mans leg, cutting the cloth of his pants.

"I am impressed with you skill, I do look forward to cutting the woman though. She will be another piece of art, her intestines strangling the child inside her." Marcel said, backing away from another swing. They circled again, turning to dodge mutual swings. Loki looked unphased by what his opponent said, instead he focused and planned his next moves.

Marcel swung forward again, but Loki crashed one of his bracers down on the man's wrist. Knocking the knife from his foe's hand, and dragging the tip of his along his arm. The cut was not deep, but it made his point very clear. Loki turned again, driving one of the knives along the Greek's back. Cutting through his shirt and into his back, the red soaking through the white shirt.

"You have skill as well, but you lack one thing." Loki replied, stepping back from his opponent and grinning at him. Marcel began to sweat, be it fear or whatever that made the man falter and loose faith in his skills. Marcel stabbed forward again, leaving his ribs exposed and Loki took the opportunity. He grabbed Marcel's knife arm, pulling him forward and driving his twisted knife into the man's side.

"You lack conviction." Loki said, twisting the knife deeper and pulling it free. Marcel sank to his knees, Loki walking past him and sheathing one of the frightening looking knives. The Greek fell forward, dead and I smiled at Loki. Stephen snaked a hand around my neck and we backed away, retreating and using me as a human shield.

"Let. Her. Go." Loki said, pointing the knife at the both of us.

"You wouldn't risk her, you coward." Stephen hissed, backing toward a door with me. I stumbled, loosing a shoe and balancing on my toes as Loki continued to stalk forward.

"He isn't the one using a pregnant woman as protection." I said, nearly falling again. He jerked me back, his arm around my chest and I struggled against him.

"I told you to let her go." Loki hissed, his face filled with anger. He bent down and picked up my shoe, holding it in one hand and Stephen panicked behind me.

"I let her go, then I walk away. Understood?" He said, Loki paused his advance and nodded at Stephen. Loki relaxed his knife arm, agreeing to the truce silently. I wanted Loki to tear him apart for what he did to me, and I nearly screamed in frustration. Stephen looked away to punch a code on a keypad behind us, not seeing the real Loki slip away from his illusion.

"Beautiful dress Little Mouse." He said and I smiled at him. "Blue always did suit you."

The door clicked open and Stephen shoved me toward the illusion, I started to turn around but he shook his head for me not to. I kept my eyes on him, staring at Loki and trying to ignore the screams behind me. Every one a special hell that was planned for the man who tried to hurt me, and soon they became all I could hear.

"Don't look Little Mouse. I am not proud of what I am doing right now." He said and the screams grew in intensity. I covered my ears and shook as they went silent, the last sound a body hitting the floor. I lowered my hands, and looked at the face of the illusion.

"He never should have touched you." He said and vanished. A hand lifted my foot carefully so I would not fall and slipped my shoe back on it. The real Loki stood back up in front of me, his hand caressed my cheek and I let out a sob. His other hand wrapped around my back and he lifted me off my feet, still keeping the remains of Stephen Johanasson out of my view.

"Look at my face and nothing else." He said and I locked my eyes on him, letting myself be taken through the doors and into an open field. He set me down on my feet and I hugged him, his hands circling me and smiling at me.

"I missed you." I said and took one of his hands and brought it around to my stomach. He smiled down at me and kissed me softly.

"I am sorry that I took so long finding you." He said and I smiled up at him. My hand covered his and I blushed, out lips meeting again and his arms wrapping around me. I pressed my forehead against his and swallowed hard, my heart pounding at seeing him again and alive.

"Forgiven." I said and he lifted me back up again, carrying me to a waiting jet. His eyes shining with a light I had never seen in them before.

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We stood in the huge church, St. Patrick's Cathedral really, and Fury walked toward us. In his hand he held the an envelope filled with documents for Loki, handing them to him. His good eye was actually smiling at me as he spoke, he offered him his hand and shook it.

"We pulled some strings, Loki now has dual citizenship. He is an American, and has a social security number to make all of this legal. Try to obey the laws, and don't create headaches for me. I hope you both are ready." Fury said, looking at me. I nodded at him and he pulled a sheet of paper out of his coat pocket and a pen.

"We need two witnesses to sign it, or it will not be legal." I said, holding the marriage license in my hand. Fury turned the paper over and I laughed at the multitude of signatures, every person we knew here signed the document, all of them our friends. I took the pen from him and signed my name in the space, knowing that my life would change forever. Not really caring about it at all, this was my destiny and I embraced it fully. Loki signed his name and Fury folded the paper, putting it back inside his coat for filing with the proper authorities. He held his hand out to me and I shook it, repeating the same action with Loki.

"Take care of her Loki, I like her. She is a good Agent." Fury said and walked away. I was still in the dress and feeling nervous about what were were about to do. Odin was going to loose his mind when we told him about this, and probably send us both to the dungeon. The old man could take a piss up a rope for all I cared.

"Soon to be my wife." Loki said and I smiled, turning to face him. Natasha had run to a random store and found a veil for me, pinning it behind the diamond crown so it traveled down my back. He smiled at me and pinched the gauze fabric in his fingers, looking at the tiny crystal beads and shaking his head.

"Usually the Bride wears white, not blue." I said and he laughed, his hands cradling my face as he looked into me.

"I doubt your traditions have the Groom dressed as I am." He said and I laughed, shaking my head. His formal armor gleaming as he stood there with me, I heard the doors slam open and my smile faded. Odin walked in, followed by Thor, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun.

"Oh shit." I groaned, not liking the look on Odin's face at all. They stalked toward us, and I stood in front of Loki. I was going to play human shield, and my odds were really bad.

"This ceremony may not proceed without my consent." Odin said, Thor crossing his arms and looking annoyed with his father. I walked forward and stood between them and Loki, ready to argue and rolled my eyes.

"Why not?" Loki snapped, I could tell a fight was brewing and I let out a long breath, forming a plan to give Loki a head start should he need to run.

"I have not given my consent, this disregard for my authority risks your freedom now Loki. Drop this game you play with her, both of you are to return to Asgard at once to face my judgment." Odin boomed out, I put up my hand to stop him and Odin looked at me. His eye pinning me with a glare and I sighed, I shrugged and smiled at him.

"Can I talk to you a second? Alone?" I asked Odin, his face changed completely as I looped my hand into his elbow. I pulled him away and I pointed at Thor and the rest, telling them all to behave with a look.

"Odin, this is going to happen. There is really nothing you can say or do to stop it." I said and he looked at me, completely shocked at what I was saying to him. I may or may not have been embracing my inner Bridezilla.

"That is a bold statement, you are being foolish. Have you lost your reason?" He replied and I rolled my eyes. I was getting married, even if I had to hog tie him and lock him in a closet somewhere.

"Why are you so afraid of this union? There has to be some reason for you to be against it, and don't say Thor because there is no way that is happening." I said and he regarded me.

"You are the most powerful being in the Nine Realms, wedding you to Loki would be madness. He is a criminal, and for all purposes to be treated as such." He said to me and I shook my head at him.

"Every man deserves redemption, and he has asked for it in spades. He helped to save lives on this planet, he saved mine. For that, I think he deserves some faith from you most of all. I was a criminal myself, an angry, hard shelled girl who as lost, he found me." I said and looked into his face.

"Family is not the people you are born into, it is the people who choose you. I chose him, and will keep fighting for him. Anytime there is something good to be had, it is worth fighting for." I said and he looked back at me, his warm hand on my face and he smiled at me.

"He does not deserve you." Odin said and I laughed.

"Yes, he does. He is perfect to me, and I say he deserves to be with me." I said and he nodded, laughing as he pulled his hand back.

""You are always so level headed, it will make you a wonderful mother one day." He said and I laughed, nodding and looking uncomfortable. He stopped, looking at me and I smiled.

"Sooner than you think." I said and he jerked back.

"Are you?" Odin asked me and I grinned, blushing at him and looked down.

"Yes." I said and he laughed, his eye sparkling in response to my confession.

"I have new respect for Loki, he chose the honorable path in this matter." Odin said and he lead me back over to the group. Thor smiled at me and opened his arms, wrapping me up in a hug. I laughed as he lifted me off my feet, may arms around his neck.

"You are late big guy, we ran out of bad guys for you to beat up." I said and he gave a throaty laugh in response, he set me back down and smiled at me.

"No, but I an here to hopefully prevent Father from stopping this. It seems you returned him to reason Lady." Thor replied and I had an idea, I stood Thor and Loki together and grinned.

"Good, because you get to stand with Loki near the Altar, Natasha will show you where. When it comes time to present the ring, you hand it to him." I said and grinned wider. "Off you go, I have to talk to Odin some more. Everyone else can just find a place to sit I guess."

"Not even bound, and she issues the orders to Loki. Lady, you are a vision of beauty incarnate." Fandral said, bowing. Sif slapped him in the back of the head, making me laugh in response. I waved everyone away, Sif walking back and hugging me.

"If you are with child, I will kill him." She said into my ear and I stiffened. She looked at me and I shook my head, she pushed me back and looked at me shocked. I shrugged and she hugged me again, laughing as she patted my back.

"Please don't kill him. I kind of want him around when I have this baby." I said and laughed.

"If he runs, I will kill him." She said and I laughed, her eyes rimmed in tears. She kissed my cheek and walked away, waving to me as she joined the rest. I turned back around and faced Odin, taking his hands and smiling.

"I want you to give me away." I said to him and he smiled in response.

"A strange tradition, I need to ask why Lady Lilliana." Odin replied and I took his hand, leading him to the end of the cathedral. Looking at him in the face and being serious with him, Odin looked down at me and smiled.

"Because it would mean everything to Loki, and save me a lot of hassle keeping everyone from killing him when my little secret gets out." I said and he nodded at me, seeing everything I was not saying perfectly. Tony rushed in with a small bag and handed it to me, his tie undone and I turned around to fix it for him. He hurried on to find a seat and I pulled a box out of the bag, opening it and seeing a gold band etched with and eight pointed star.

"You mean to mend bridges, always the wisest of us." Odin said and took the ring from me. He held it in his closed hand and lifted my chin, smiling down at me.

"Maybe." I said, and blushed.

"I never thought he would care for another as he cares for you, it will be my honor to give Loki his Bride." Odin said, leaning forward to kiss me on my cheek. His beard tickled my neck and shoulder, making me smile at him. He offered me his elbow and Natasha walked to us, a bouquet of white roses in her hands and smiling with excitement.

"The Priest is ready when you are, I am so happy for you." She said and straightened my veil over my shoulders, I took the flowers and smiled at her. She hugged me quickly, hurrying back and finding a seat.

"Thank you for this, Father." I said to Odin and he beamed at me. We began walking, my feet carrying me toward a future unknown. Loki stood, his face calm but happy, Thor next to him with his hands folded. Twitch took pictures with an expensive looking camera, clicking away as we walked. Everyone stood, Hogun and Fandral smiling at me, but I only cared about one face in the crowd.

Loki saw Odin walking with me and he stepped down to offer me his hand, helping me up the stairs. We stood patiently as everyone sat, and I smiled brightly. The old Priest with thick glasses looked at me and he opened his book, reading from it.

"I ask that all here remain silent unless they find any reason these two should not be wed, for this is a scared ceremony and should be treated as such. The man and woman here have invited you here to witness their union, and you are witness to this bond that will hold two people as one for all time. There is a thread that links two hearts such as this, and no matter how far one may be from the other, it will not break. This thread is stronger than gold, and more sacred than time itself. Once tied to another, it will always be there, and their souls will be linked for all time." The priest said, and I swallowed hard. Trying not to choke up at his words. The silence from the audience remained, and I smiled at Loki.

"May I ask who gives this lovely woman away to her betrothed?" The priest asked and I nudged Odin. He started and cleared his throat, his voice proud.

"I Odin, King of Asgard, son of Bor, give this woman to my son Loki. They have my blessing to be bound." Odin said and he placed my hands in Loki's, I smiled up at him and handed my flowers to Odin. Loki ran his thumbs over the backs of my hands, his smile wide.

"Friends and gathered guests, we are here to witness the joining of two hearts in matrimony. Two beings who have once walked a road alone and found each other in their journey. Drawn to the light of the other and ready to continue this path they have chosen together. It will not always be a journey that is of ease, but together this man and this woman will weather any storm. Should the both of them stay true to each other, and should they stand as one against the forces that my tempt them to stray from one another."

"May your love remain at the rings you both shall soon bear, an unbroken circle. Infinite in creation, and eternal." The priest said and I heard a sob, I looked over and saw Volstagg wipe his nose on the back of his hand.

"Sorry...continue." He said and I giggled, rolling my eyes.

"We shall begin with the vows, altered for present company."

"Lilliana Rose Hawthorne, do you take this man before you as your wedded Husband? Do you promise to honor him and hold no man above him, to be his guiding light through the darkness, to be the mother of his children, and to be his nurse in illness, for all your long days?" He asked and I smiled.

"I do, with all my heart." I said and our eyes met, I could see them sparkle with joy.

"Do you Loki, take this woman before you as your wedded Wife? Do you promise to honor her, protect her, to be her guide throughout any storm, and to hold no woman in the same esteem you hold her, to be and remain her most trusted companion for all your long days?" The priest finished and Loki smiled down at me, pausing to caress my cheek.

"I swear it, now and forever." He said and I heard another sniff behind Loki, we both looked over at Thor and he wiped a tear away. He nodded and motioned for us to continue, Loki let out a breath and rolled his eyes. Odin let out a long breath, and I smiled.

"Will the Bride present her ring and vows to her intended?" The priest said and Odin stepped forward, placing the gold ring into my hand.

"I Lilliana Rose Hawthorne, promise with this ring to be your wife, your companion, and the mother of your children. I promise to be there through the awful, and to be the joy you find at the end of the storm. You are my greatest friend, and I never want to loose you to any being. I promise to love only you for all the days of my endless life, and to never accept anyone else the way I accept you." I said and slipped the ring onto his finger.

"Would the Groom present his ring and vows to his intended?" The Priest said and Thor put my ring into his hand. My mouth fell open and I smiled, I thought the gold and amethyst band had been lost. But it was there, cupped in his hand. He cradled my hand and held the ring, his eyes shining.

"I Loki, promise with this ring to be your Husband, your protector, and your continued tutor. I shall take no mistress, nor shall I ever break your beautiful heart. You have humbled me, and made me your equal and the same time, and I promise too keep you as mine. I promise to protect our children, as they are a part of you and I would have not part that exists injured. I shall honor your kindness, holding you through the darkest of nights for all time." He said and slipped the ring onto my finger. I wove my fingers between his and he smiled at me.

"May your days be long and filled with joy, may your path never stray from one another. By the powers vested in me, I bless you both and pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss your Bride." The old Priest said. I shot forward, wrapping my arms around Loki's neck, and kissing him. His lips warm on mine as his arms wrapped around me, everyone gathered applauded and we never heard a single clap. We the only two people in the universe and eternity was ours. We were two stars that collided and became one, never to be parted. We broke our kiss and I saw a tear trace down his cheek, he rested his forehead against mine and my and cradled his cheek. We kissed again and Tony cleared his throat, making us stop and laugh. Thor walked forward and clapped Loki on the shoulder, his smile broad as he embraced Loki. Odin stepped toward me and held me, his beard tickling my neck again.

"Thank you for giving me back my son my beloved daughter." He said and I smiled at him. "I bless you unborn child, but please let it know only love."

"I promise." I said to him and laughed.


	29. Epilogue

Epilogue:

The last two members of The Horsemen were arrested, but never saw trial. They had destroyed too many lives to be allowed a chance to cut a deal and walk free, Fury said that they tried to escape custody and were killed in the attempt. I wanted to believe it was not an outright execution, but it would not completely disappoint me if it was. You cannot cause so much pain and suffering without facing some judgment.

They tested the DNA found in what was left of Stephen Johannasson, and his story turned out to be true. He really was Josef Mengele, the monster who tortured so many in the Concentration Camps was finally dead. The true identity of the man was never released, and I was glad for it, he deserved to never have his name used to be a martyr. I never shed a tear for what Loki did to that monster either, I just never wanted to know what happened behind my back. I would never ask either, some things deserve to remain unsaid.

Loki and I returned to Asgard with the rest, here we told our story while everyone celebrated our marriage and victory. My sipping water and tea while everyone drank wine was noticed, and we had to share the news. Everyone was happy, especially Thor. He gave me a careful hug and promised me a special gift for his brother's child. Fandral and Volstagg agreed that Loki had acted honorably, and we were given the full blessing of the warriors.

Some things could actually change.

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Four months passed, and I began to show, my corsets being traded out for maternity clothes. All of my dresses beautiful and accenting my changing body. He stood by me when I started getting sick in the mornings, smoothing my hair back as I vomited and groaned. I could only hope that he would put up with me when I was as big as a house, but he insisted on being nearby for me.

Loki and I went on walks together, everyone in Asgard whispering about the baby, and smiling at me as I passed. All talking about the redemption of Loki in Odin's eyes, and how our marriage on Earth was to be recognized by all. Odin announced it of course, the Council approved, except for Lord Raithbourne. I did not care though, we had the majority on our side.

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Now happily, our only adventure was to wait for the birth of our child, and our lives became our own. We intended to use our days well, savoring this quiet peace that fell on us after the horrors we had been through. The pace was something I enjoyed as well, no reason to hurry anywhere, because it would be there when we arrived.

We laughed in the shade of a tree in the gardens, reading books and his hand resting on my growing belly. I read him a funny part in my book, and he laughed back at the story. My head on his thigh as he took a bite from and apple and lowered it to me, I bit off a pieced and chewed it, turning the page in my book and smiling at it. Both of us stopped by a sudden nudge from my belly.

"Did you feel that?" I asked him and he jerked his hand away from me. He nodded in shock and returned his hand to my swell of a stomach, blinking at me.

"Was that the child?" He asked me and I nodded, the baby moved again and he smiled. I sat up and laughed as we both felt the first movements of your baby. Strong and true.

"It was." I said and I shifted. His back hunching over as he pressed his cheek to my belly, sighing as he felt it move again. His face turning to kiss the bump through my clothes, and his hand smoothing my dress over the swell. He looked down at it, and smiled, setting his book aside and putting both his hands on me.

"Be kind to your mother always, she cannot wait to hold you in her arms and dreams of you every night." He said and another movement was given in response. His eyes shining again as he kissed me under the tree. Flower petals falling on us as we celebrated the first of many milestones in our child's life.

If only peace lasted.


End file.
